A LEGAL tussle amounting to $1million has been unleashed on the head of Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, editor of the mainstream national daily newspaper, the Daily Graphic for publishing libelous material against a senior citizen of international repute.

Mr. Raymond Okudzeto, an international businessman handed down the multi-million dollar suit against Mr. Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh also a trained lawyer and the Graphic Communications Group Limited, at an Accra Fast Track Court on Friday August 24, 2007.

The plaintiff, who has business relations in Europe, Nigeria, Nairobi, Sudan and Ghana as well as other countries throughout the world, is demanding the defendants to appear in court and provide a comprehensive evidence of series of allegations made in the August 17, 2007 issue of the Daily Graphic that attacked his reputation.

In a writ filed by Sam Okudzeto & Associates, plaintiff is claiming aggravated and exemplary damages against the defendants for dragging his name in the mud.

The plaintiff is further requesting the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants by themselves and their agents from further publishing any libelous material about him in addition to cost.

According to the plaintiff, the defendants published an alleged Advertisers' Announcement captioned: "Royal Adzovia Family Speaks Out on Regent Togbui Sri III" in which he was maligned to the core.

Mr. Okudzeto was of the view that the defendants deliberately and maliciously published the said Advertisers' Announcement, whose content was a complete falsehood and phony in the highest degree.

Quoting extensively from the Advertisers' Announcement published by the defendants, plaintiff held that the contents were a carefully orchestrated act to destroy his reputation considering his international business relations.

The defendants specifically mentioned the plaintiff in the August 17, 2007 issue of the Daily Graphic stating "We are well informed of Mr. Okudzeto's working days with Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) his involvement in the purchase of an aircraft for the nation, his activities at Ghana Telecom and his current visa dealings amongst other. His activities during his days in Nigeria and Kenya are well known to us.

Again we have full details of his recent publication in the Ghanaian Chronicle denying his imprisonment as a result of his involvement in narcotic deals. This is because he was detained for drug activities in the United Kingdom, a fact which he admitted in his own publication in the Chronicle Newspaper dated Thursday, August 2, 2007.

We will be compelled to give details of what we know about his activities if he does not desist from meddling in our chieftaincy matters. Our silence all this while is simply to maintain the dignity of the Anlo State."

The said publication further referred to a journal published by the plaintiff called "Volta Messenger" and noted as follows: "The Royal family also notes with a lot of concern publications in the Volta Messenger on secessionist activities which have a huge propensity to cause disturbances in the Volta Region

There is vital and credible information that Torgbui Sri III is their target and that they are going to treat him like the late Ya Na."

According to the plaintiff, defendants by the words in their publication has imputed dishonesty to him in his business dealings at the GNTC, Ghana Telecom, Nigeria, Kenya and the purchase of the aircraft for the nation.

Plaintiff further noted that the defendants by their publication had accused him of drug dealings as a result of which he was imprisoned in the United Kingdom, involvement in treasonable acts as well as planning with others to assassinate Togbui Sri III in the same way the With Raymond Okudzeto,¢multi billion suit A LEGAL tussle amounting to $1million has been unleashed on the head of Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, editor of the mainstream national daily newspaper, the Daily Graphic for publishing libelous material against a senior citizen of international repute.

Mr. Raymond Okudzeto, an international businessman handed down the multi-million dollar suit against Mr. Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh also a trained lawyer and the Graphic Communications Group Limited, at an Accra Fast Track Court on Friday August 24, 2007.

The plaintiff, who has business relations in Europe, Nigeria, Nairobi, Sudan and Ghana as well as other countries throughout the world, is demanding the defendants to appear in court and provide a comprehensive evidence of series of allegations made in the August 17, 2007 issue of the Daily Graphic that attacked his reputation.

In a writ filed by Sam Okudzeto & Associates, plaintiff is claiming aggravated and exemplary damages against the defendants for dragging his name in the mud.

The plaintiff is further requesting the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants by themselves and their agents from further publishing any libelous material about him in addition to cost.

According to the plaintiff, the defendants published an alleged Advertisers' Announcement captioned: "Royal Adzovia Family Speaks Out on Regent Togbui Sri III" in which he was maligned to the core.

Mr. Okudzeto was of the view that the defendants deliberately and maliciously published the said Advertisers' Announcement, whose content was a complete falsehood and phony in the highest degree.

Quoting extensively from the Advertisers' Announcement published by the defendants, plaintiff held that the contents were a carefully orchestrated act to destroy his reputation considering his international business relations.

The defendants specifically mentioned the plaintiff in the August 17, 2007 issue of the Daily Graphic stating "We are well informed of Mr. Okudzeto's working days with Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) his involvement in the purchase of an aircraft for the nation, his activities at Ghana Telecom and his current visa dealings amongst other. His activities during his days in Nigeria and Kenya are well known to us.

Again we have full details of his recent publication in the Ghanaian Chronicle denying his imprisonment as a result of his involvement in narcotic deals. This is because he was detained for drug activities in the United Kingdom, a fact which he admitted in his own publication in the Chronicle Newspaper dated Thursday, August 2, 2007.

We will be compelled to give details of what we know about his activities if he does not desist from meddling in our chieftaincy matters. Our silence all this while is simply to maintain the dignity of the Anlo State."

The said publication further referred to a journal published by the plaintiff called "Volta Messenger" and noted as follows: "The Royal family also notes with a lot of concern publications in the Volta Messenger on secessionist activities which have a huge propensity to cause disturbances in the Volta Region

There is vital and credible information that Torgbui Sri III is their target and that they are going to treat him like the late Ya Na."

According to the plaintiff, defendants by the words in their publication has imputed dishonesty to him in his business dealings at the GNTC, Ghana Telecom, Nigeria, Kenya and the purchase of the aircraft for the nation.

Plaintiff further noted that the defendants by their publication had accused him of drug dealings as a result of which he was imprisoned in the United Kingdom, involvement in treasonable acts as well as planning with others to assassinate Togbui Sri III in the same way the Ya Na was assassinated.

Mr. Okudzeto noted that the said publication made by the defendants has endangered his life "by calling for his prosecution as a secessionist and also for a treasonable offence and for planning murder."