Ex-NLA Board Chair sues MFWA, demands GHS10m over “Peanuts for Billions” report
The writ, filed at the Accra High Court on September 30, 2025, also cites Seth J. Bokpe of The Fourth Estate, MFWA’s Executive Director Sulemana Braimah, and two other journalists, William Nlanjerbor Jalulah and Philip Teye Agbove, as defendants.
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Legal practitioner and former Board Chairman of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Gary Nimako Marfo, has dragged the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to court in a GHS10 million defamation suit over a publication he says tarnished his reputation.
The writ, filed at the Accra High Court on September 30, 2025, also cites Seth J. Bokpe of The Fourth Estate, MFWA’s Executive Director Sulemana Braimah, and two other journalists, William Nlanjerbor Jalulah and Philip Teye Agbove, as defendants.
At the heart of the dispute is a Fourth Estate investigation alleging that the NLA effectively gave away a GHS3 billion revenue stream to KGL Technology Limited in exchange for just GHS170 million annually. The story, published with Mr. Nimako’s photo under a bold banner headline, sparked public outrage and scrutiny of the Authority.
Mr. Nimako insists the publication was false, defamatory, and politically motivated, crafted to discredit him and former board members. He is asking the court to declare the report baseless, order a retraction and public apology of equal prominence, and award GHS10 million in compensatory damages plus legal costs.
In his statement of claim, he argues that the story was designed to “stir public disaffection” and erode trust in the NLA’s leadership.
Meanwhile, former NLA Director-General Samuel Awuku has also come out swinging against the report, describing it as “lopsided” and selective. While acknowledging that the Authority funded some high-profile events such as the EMY Awards and the Ghana CEO Summit, Awuku maintained that such sponsorships represented less than 5% of the Foundation’s budget and were strategic marketing investments to drive corporate partnerships.
Awuku further defended the NLA’s Good Causes Foundation, insisting that funds were channeled into meaningful social impact projects and not wasted on “glamorous distractions,” as the report suggested.
The case is expected to test the balance between press freedom and reputational protection in Ghana’s courts.
