In a significant ruling at the Court of Appeal, Honourable Justice Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens mandated, Kutubu Koroma, a resident in Maryland, USA, to pay One Billion Five Hundred Thousand Old Leones (One Billion Five Hundred Thousand New Leones) as compensation for defamation and libel against Plaintiffs, John Akar Foundation and Yada Williams Esq.
The case centered on defamatory publications on the ‘Salone Tok Forum’ Social Media platform.
The judgment, handed down at the Main Law Courts Building in Freetown on November 21, 2023, emphasized the need for retractions and apologies to be published across three prominent newspapers and all social media channels. Justice Stevens highlighted the severity of the libelous content and ordered Koroma to rectify the damage caused by the false statements.
The lawsuit, initiated through a Writ of Summons on October 26, 2022, detailed the defamatory content authored by Koroma on June 13 and 14, 2022. The statements made insinuations regarding fraudulent activities involving the late Ambassador John Joseph Akar and unethical conduct by Yada Williams Esq., causing reputational damage to the Plaintiffs.
Despite efforts by the Plaintiffs to halt the defamatory statements and seek retractions, Koroma continued the publications, prompting the legal action.
Justice Stevens emphasized the gravity of the situation, emphasizing the defamatory nature of the statements and their negative impact on the Plaintiffs’ reputation and public perception.
The court order included compensatory damages totaling One Billion Five Hundred Thousand New Leones, alongside an injunction to prevent further dissemination of libelous content and a requirement for public retractions and apologies.
