The FCT High Court has resumed hearing of the N5 billion defamation suit instituted against Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami by Chairman Emeritus of DAAR Communications PLC, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
When the hearing commenced, the defendant opened his defence and called a witness who is the Special Assistant to the President and Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi.
He was led in evidence by his counsel. Under cross examination by the counsel for the claimant, Mike Ozekhome, the witness in his testimony said his duty is to write speeches, press statements and advise the Minister on media related matters.
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He said on the 30th of March, 2019 the Minister, Lai Mohammed addressed the media conference and he was present.
When asked if he or any of the media houses whose publications were tendered as exhibits instructed the Minister to quote the paragraph where he named Dokpesi as looter he answered in the negative.
The video evidence of where the Minister read the supposed list of looters in Nigeria including Dokpesi’s name was presented and also played before the Court.
When asked if the Minister in his statement used the word “allegedly” when he mentioned that Dokpesi and others in the list were looters, Adeyemi said no that the word “allegedly” was never used in his speech.
He also said he does not have any evidence with him that Dokpesi looted the federal treasury to the tune of N2.1 billion.
When asked if any of the report in his possession indicates that Dokpesi collected such money he said yes that reasons were given that the money was for media purposes.
And he did not know how the document of looters was generated by the media.
He however agreed that he does not have any evidence as to the looters’ list that Dokpesi looted the alleged sum.
After the cross examination, Justice Adegboyega Adeniyi fixed the 19th of March, 2020 for adoption of parties’ final written addresses.
Online publication and statement on oath were presented to the courts and same were admitted in evidence.
The N5 billion defamation suit was instituted against the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami by
Chairman Emeritus DAAR Communications PLC, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi.
Dokpesi had alleged that on March 30, 2019 during a media conference, the
Information Minister and the Attorney-General defamed his character by the inclusion of his name on the treasury looters’ list which portrayed him as “a corrupt and crooked person, a dishonest man and a thief”.
And that the Minister’s action negatively affected his reputation and that his image which had made him suffer considerable distress and ridicule in the political corridor.
He therefore urged the Court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents and representatives from further writing publishing defamatory words about him.
He also wants the Court to order the defendants to tender an unreserved apology to him in all the major electronic and print media outlets in the country.
