The Secretary to the Board of the National Cathedral Secretariat Rev Kusi Boateng’s defamation case against North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been adjourned.
The Accra High Court was compelled to adjourn the case sine die. This means the case was brought to an end without setting a date for another hearing or meeting.
The reason is to allow the plaintiff (Rev Boateng) to use the appropriate quarters to serve the defendant Mr. Ablakwa who has become an active campaigner on matters of public interest.
“Because it is his constitutional right to be served properly, the case has been adjourned sine die. He should be served through the Speaker of Parliament given the status of the respondent in the matter. So, the matter has been adjourned for the applicant to put its house in order.
“When that has been done then the processes that we have to file as a matter of consequence, we can rely on it or file proper service as a result but until that is done there is no matter,” counsel for Mr. Ablakwa spoke to journalists after court proceedings.
It will be recalled that a court bailiff, in a viral video, ambushed the North Tongu legislator right after his interview on Accra-based Metro TV.
Mr. Ablakwa was captured in the said video kicking the envelope with his foot while insisting on the right thing to be done by the bailiff.
Also present in court was Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the 2020 Running Mate of then NDC Flagbearer John Dramani Mahama, Deputy Minority Leader Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, Madina MP Francis Xavier Sosu, NDC General Secretary Fifi Kwetey and other supporters clad in red attires.
The plaintiff, was, however, not in court.
Background
The Secretary to the Board of the National Cathedral Secretariat, Rev Kusi Boateng, secured a restraining order against North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
By the court order, Mr. Ablakwa has been barred from “any public disclosures of the private information, documents, correspondence, communication and property belonging to the applicant”.
The North Tongu MP accused Rev Boateng of having a double identity and accused him of a conflict of interest following some monies he allegedly received from the National Cathedral Board of Trustees under a different name.
According to the North Tongu legislator Rev. Kusi Boateng has two TINs produced on different occasions and, in some instances, two different dates of birth.
It was on these grounds that the plaintiff, Rev Boateng dragged the legislator to court.