The National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, has initiated legal action against media personality Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, widely known as Afia Schwarzenegger.
The defamation suit, filed at the High Court in Accra, seeks GH¢10,000,000.00 in general and exemplary damages, along with a demand for a public retraction and a permanent injunction to prevent further publication of what Mr. Gyamfi describes as “false, malicious, and damaging” statements.
The lawsuit stems from statements allegedly made by Afia Schwarzenegger in a TikTok video that gained significant traction on social media. According to the court documents, these statements included accusations of extramarital affairs, claims that Mr. Gyamfi purchases vehicles for university students, and allegations of suspicious wealth accumulation by his wife’s relatives.
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The writ of summons outlines the specific defamatory remarks, including: “Tell Sammy Gyamfi’s wife that I am greeting her. Her husband is still buying cars for girls in Legon… I’m holding the list… His wife’s sister Vida has just bought a house in the US…”
Defamation
In his statement of claim, Mr. Gyamfi denies these allegations, asserting that they are completely untrue and intentionally crafted to subject him to ridicule, undermine his credibility, and damage his public reputation. He contends that the statements not only harm his personal and professional image but also expose his family to public scorn and social stigma.
Mr. Gyamfi stated in the claim: “These wild allegations are not only false but were made with malice. Afia Schwarzenegger’s intent was not to inform but to destroy. This must not go unpunished.”
Through the lawsuit, Mr. Gyamfi is seeking several reliefs from the court. These include a formal declaration that Afia Schwarzenegger’s statements constitute defamation. He is also demanding the substantial sum of GH¢10,000,000.00 in damages to compensate for the harm caused to his reputation. Furthermore, the suit requests a perpetual injunction to restrain Afia Schwarzenegger and her associates from making or publishing any similar defamatory statements in the future.
In addition to the financial compensation and the injunction, Mr. Gyamfi is demanding a public apology and a retraction of the defamatory statements. He seeks for this apology and retraction to be published three times in The Daily Graphic newspaper and also prominently posted on TikTok and any other platforms where the original defamatory comments were circulated.
Mr. Gyamfi is also requesting the court to order Afia Schwarzenegger to cover his legal costs and counsel’s fees associated with pursuing the lawsuit.