For maliciously prosecuting journalist; Asamoah Gyan to pay over GHC 1 million

A former skipper of the Black Stars, Asamoah Gyan, has been slapped with damages and costs amounting to over GHC1 million Ghana cedis after he lost a suit of malicious prosecution brought against him by a journalist.

This suit was instituted by the journalist Anthony Sarfo after his acquittal and discharge in a charge of extortion leveled against him and three others by Asamoah Gyana and his manager, Anim Addo.

In his judgment delivered today, the court presided over by Ernest Owusu-Dapaah, JA, held that the plaintiff had succeeded in proving the case of malicious prosecution against the player and thus granted him damages in the sum of GHc900,000.

Also, he awarded certain sums in favor of the plaintiff for his lost remuneration in the last 111 months and a further cost against Asamoah Gyan and his manager.

The other three who were similarly acquitted and discharged in that original suit were Osarfo Anthony (arts/entertainment writer), Chris Handler (blogger), Sarah Kwablah (law student), and Ekow Micah (musician).

You may recall that in 2016, there was a story of alleged sodomy attributed to Asamoah Gyan in which the supposed victim, Sarah Kwablah, indicated that she was raped and sodomized by the player, which got her pregnant.

Owing to subsequent events about four persons attempting to extort money from Asamoah Gyan in order not to publish the story and tapes of the act, Anthony met Asamoah at a restaurant where various sums of money (1,000 dollars, GHc 6,000.00, and a check of GHc 15,000.00) were given to him.

He was, however, arrested by the Airport police following a prior complaint that had been made to them by Asamoah Gyan, which also led to the arrest of the rest, all of whom were prosecuted by the Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy to extort money.