‘Extortionist’ comment: Court dismisses Afenyo-Markin’s GH¢15m suit against Sammy Gyamfi

The High Court in Accra has set aside a GH¢15 million defamation lawsuit brought by Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin against GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over an alleged defamatory remark describing the former as an “extortionist”.

The court, presided over by Justice Agyenim Boateng, ruled that the action was defective because the writ of summons failed to meet the special legal requirements for a defamation case.

The decision followed a preliminary objection filed by Mr. Gyamfi’s lawyers, Seth Anyaaba and Gideon Abotsi, challenging the legal competence of the suit. The court upheld the objection and set aside the action.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin filed the case on August 24, 2026, seeking GH¢15 million in general, aggravated and exemplary damages.

He also asked the court to order Mr. Gyamfi to issue a full and unqualified retraction and apology, with the same prominence as the original publication.

The lawsuit arose from a political dispute over the Bank of Ghana’s gold purchase programme and concerns about its reported financial losses.

The controversy intensified after Mr. Afenyo-Markin, then serving as Minority Leader, criticised the programme and demanded accountability over a reported US$1.7 billion loss recorded by the Bank of Ghana in 2025.

Mr. Gyamfi subsequently described Mr. Afenyo-Markin as an “extortionist” in response to the criticism, prompting the legal action.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin considered the remark defamatory and sought financial compensation, alongside a public retraction and apology.

The court’s decision, however, focused on the legal competence of the action following the objection raised by Mr. Gyamfi’s legal team.

The suit has been set aside after the court upheld the preliminary objection concerning its compliance with the legal requirements for defamation proceedings.

The ruling does not, based on the information available, establish whether the disputed remark was true or whether it legally amounted to defamation.

The development marks a procedural setback for Mr. Afenyo-Markin’s attempt to obtain damages and a retraction over the remark.