Tsatsu Tsikata sues Kofi Akpaloo for defamation

Renowned Ghanaian lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata has filed a defamation lawsuit against Kofi Akpaloo, the Presidential candidate of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), following accusations that Tsikata supports former President John Mahama in order to regain access to state contracts he allegedly benefited from during Mahama’s first term in office.

The defamation suit, filed by Tsikata’s legal team, led by Tony Lithur of Lithur Brew & Company, seeks compensation for what is described as “egregious falsehoods” that have damaged Tsikata’s hard-earned reputation.

Akpaloo made the controversial claims during a televised interview on GHOne TV, part of the Excellence in Broadcasting (EIB) Network owned by Dr. Kwabena Duffour. The EIB Network is also named as a co-defendant in the case.

In the interview, broadcast on November 19, 2024, Akpaloo alleged that Tsikata’s endorsement of Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 elections, was motivated by personal gain—specifically, access to state contracts and “getting the best deals” during Mahama’s administration. Akpaloo insinuated that Tsikata’s support for Mahama was based on self-interest rather than genuine political conviction.

Tsikata, a former CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and law lecturer at the University of Ghana, has vehemently denied these allegations, calling them “baseless” and detrimental to his integrity. In his legal filing, Tsikata asserts that Akpaloo’s statements were false, defamatory, and designed to harm his reputation.

The lawsuit argues that the comments falsely portray Tsikata as a self-serving individual whose views are driven by personal benefits, undermining his credibility as a respected public figure. As a result, Tsikata is seeking damages for the harm caused to his reputation.

Additionally, Tsikata demands a public retraction and apology from both Akpaloo and EIB Network, with the apology published in a manner that mirrors the prominence of the original defamatory statements. Tsikata is also seeking punitive costs against Akpaloo as a deterrent against such conduct in the future and requests injunctions to ensure the false statements are removed from all digital platforms associated with GHOne TV and EIB Network.

The legal dispute follows Tsikata’s public declaration of support for Mahama, citing the achievements of Mahama’s previous administration as reasons for his backing. In an interview with GHOne TV, Tsikata compared the performance of Mahama’s administration to that of the Akufo-Addo government, asserting that Mahama’s record was superior, particularly over the past eight years.

Tsikata emphasized that his decision to support Mahama was based on his evaluation of Mahama’s track record, contrasting it with the “failures” of the current government. “Mahama’s performance is better than what we’ve seen over the past four years,” Tsikata stated.

In response, Akpaloo dismissed Tsikata’s remarks as driven by personal gain, alleging that Tsikata was simply praising Mahama because of the benefits he received during Mahama’s time in office. “He said so because he was getting contracts under Mahama, so why wouldn’t he say that? He was getting the best deals,” Akpaloo claimed.

This dispute over Tsikata’s support for Mahama has now escalated into a legal battle, with Tsikata seeking redress for the reputational damage caused by Akpaloo’s allegations.