Legal practitioner and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has signalled plans to challenge a High Court ruling that ordered him to pay GH₵5.1 million in damages to former National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah, arguing that the proceedings were flawed.
In a Facebook post reacting to the March 2 decision, Barker-Vormawor alleged a series of procedural irregularities. According to him, his legal team was prevented from completing the cross-examination of Kan Dapaah, while his own witness statement—though filed—was not considered before judgment was delivered.
“Of course we will seek to set it aside. But he can take his victory lap,” Barker-Vormawor wrote.
Background
On Monday, the High Court in Accra awarded GH₵5 million in general damages against Barker-Vormawor in favour of Kan Dapaah in a defamation suit. An additional GH₵100,000 was imposed as costs.
Presiding judge Justice (Rev.) Joseph Owusu Adu-Agyeman granted the bulk of the reliefs sought by the plaintiff but reduced the initial compensation claim from GH₵10 million to GH₵5 million.
Kan Dapaah had taken legal action over bribery allegations made by Barker-Vormawor. The activist had claimed that the former minister and other government officials met him and offered money in an attempt to persuade him to halt his activism.
Before judgment was delivered, Barker-Vormawor’s lawyers filed an application asking the court to relist their Statement of Defence and Witness Statement, which had previously been struck out. The court dismissed the application, describing it as inconsistent with procedural rules.
As a result, Barker-Vormawor had no valid defence on record at the time the ruling was delivered.
In his account of events, he explained that after his original lawyer was appointed Deputy Attorney General, he sought and obtained an adjournment to secure new representation.
However, he said that when his new counsel requested time to familiarise himself with the case and file a witness statement, the judge declined the request and directed that cross-examination proceed.
“He missed Court one day, and when we got the record, the judge had struck out my defense and given a date to give judgement,” Barker-Vormawor wrote.
He added: “We filed a motion to relist the defense and filed my witness statement and that of my other witness. We also filed a motion to arrest judgment. Judge refused it. Went ahead to give Kan Dapaah judgment.”
Barker-Vormawor further invited members of the public to review his witness statement, which he maintains the court declined to consider.
“You can read my witness statement, that the court refused to consider, if you want!” he wrote.
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