An Accra High Court on Friday, presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, has imposed a fine of one million Ghana cedis on former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan and his manager, Samuel Anim Addo.
The one million cedis is in general and special damages to one Osafo Anthony.
Mr. Osafo, a journalist, sued both Asamoah Gyan and his manager, for malicious prosecution, over a lawsuit that had terminated in favour of Osafo Anthony, in 2019.
The Court also awarded a cost of sixty thousand Ghana cedis, against Asamoah Gyan and his manager.
From Court documents, in June 2015, there were publications alleging one Sarah Kwabla, had accused Former Black Stars captain, Asamoah Gyan of rape and sodomy.
The plaintiff, a journalist, Osafo Anthony, said the victim, Miss Kwabla, contacted him with photo evidence of the alleged act, as well as some WhatsApp chats with and audios of Asamoah Gyan, following the alleged incident.
Per the facts, lawyers for Mr. Gyan, denied the incident and maintained that the celebrated ex-player, had consensual sex with the lady in question.
The facts are that, the journalist, who claimed to have had a balanced story, published a series of the story, on a blog, he worked for at the time.
Further from the facts, one of the handlers in Asamaoh Gyan’s camp named Nii Armah Amarteifio, acting on the instructions of Asamaoh Gyan’s manager, contacted the editor and publisher of the said blogs and pleaded the publication to be discontinued, and promised that Asamoah Gyan, was prepared to offer money, to that effect.
Unknown to Osafo Anthony, Asamoah Gyan, had lodged a complaint with the police accusing the journalist and his media company of attempting to extort money from him.
Osafo Anthony and three others were later arrested and prosecuted in 2015. After a 4-year trial at the Circuit Court, the accused persons were acquitted and discharged on March 20, 2019.
Osafo Anthony, then sued Asamoah Gyan and his manager Samuel Anim Addo, for malicious prosecution.
The journalist argued that to save the career and reputation, of Asamoah Gyan, he and his manager, made false allegations against him and further pushed for his prosecution when they knew, there was no truth to their claims.
In Court on Friday, Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaah held the claims of the plaintiff, Osafo Anthony.
The Judge held the view that, lawyers for the plaintiff, were able to prove, that, the intention of Asamoah Gyan, and his manager Samuel Anim Addo, only wanted to achieve their own purposes, rather than bringing a criminal prosecution against Osafo.
Justice Owusu-Dapaah, further held that it is evident that, Mr. Gyan and his team, did not have any material evidence to support their claims of extortion against the plaintiff, as they had previously stated.
The Judge subsequently fined, Asamoah Gyan and Samuel Anim Addo, nine hundred thousand cedis in general damages.
The Court, also, fined the defendants, one hundred thousand Ghana cedis, to be paid to the plaintiff, as his monthly earnings from his employment, which had been terminated from 2015 to 2023, due to the prosecution against him.
Finally, a cost of sixty Ghana cedis was also awarded against Asamoah Gyan and Samuel Anim Addo, making a total of one million and sixty thousand cedis, in damages to be paid by the ex-footballer and his manager, to Osafo Anthony.
