Dr. Philip A. Bannor, Registrar of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), will today engage in a legal tussle with his estranged wife at an the Accra High Court.
The suit, GJ/1345/2021, has been billed for hearing today February 10, 2023, after several adjournments since October 2021.
Dr. Bannor has sued Dora Bannor, together with two others, for defamation.
He is claiming GH¢5,000,000 in damages jointly and severally against the defendants for defamation contained in a publication by an Accra weekly.
The plaintiff is also seeking an apology and a retraction of the said publication.
In a statement of claim filed by Kwakwaduom Chambers in Accra on his behalf, the failed NPP parliamentary aspirant for Kumawu, in the June 2020 primaries, averred that the third defendant, Dora Bannor, caused a publication in an Accra weekly in September 2020 to the effect that he (plaintiff), with the connivance of a Reverend Minister of the Kumawu branch of the Salvation Army Church, hid properties belonging to the couple.
The medical doctor cum politician stated that he understood the said publication to mean he was a crook, had misconducted himself in marriage, and neglected his parental duties to his children.
According to him, the said publication also sought to indicate that he had invested $400,000 belonging to the couple in Menzgold Company, and that the third defendant believed the plaintiff (Dr. Bannor) was still hiding some properties and monies in bank accounts.
The Plaintiff says, as a member of some professional bodies and a public officer, the publication had dented his reputation, hence, the GH¢5,000,000 defamation suit against the defendants.
Dora Bannor, third defendant, mother of plaintiff’s three children, who lives in the USA, has filed a statement of defence in accordance with Order 11 Rule 4 of the C.I. 47, and pledged to rely on the defence of truth at the trial.
In a 39-point statement of defence filed on behalf of the third defendant by Messrs Sory @ Law in Accra, Dora Bannor confirmed that the plaintiff had invested $400,000 of the couple’s marital income in Menzgold, which had been defrozen by the government, and that the said amount had been invested in the names of the Plaintiff’s nephew, nieces, cousins and friends, mentioned as Edward Yankey (nephew), Boagyewaa (niece), Korankyewaa Yankey (niece), Bismark Kwadwo Darkwa Frempong (cousin), and one Agatha Many (friend).
Dora further claimed that the plaintiff transferred most of the money held by the couple in their joint account to Ghana, thus leaving her and the children in financial peril.
The defendant claimed that upon absconding with the marital funds, the plaintiff acquired properties in Ghana with the said funds.
The third defendant has also averred that the Plaintiff had also changed the names on the properties acquired during the marriage, and replaced them with that of Agatha Manu and one Mr. Frempong, an uncle of the plaintiff.
She indicated that notwithstanding the above, the plaintiff made an additional investment of US$25,000 of the marital funds to Agatha Manu and Mr. Frempong.
The defendant further argued in response to plaintiff’s claims that the plaintiff abandoned her and that upon the institution of divorce proceedings the Plaintiff deliberately relocated to Ghana.
Dora Bannor stated that not only did the plaintiff misconduct himself in the marriage by neglecting his three children, but also engaged in extra marital relationship with both men and women, thus acted in such a manner disapproved, not only by the defendant, but the Ghanaian society generally.
She further stated that not only did the plaintiff abandon her and the children, but also neglected to fulfill the financial obligations owed by the plaintiff and the third defendant, with regards to the mortgaged property at Hamilton County valued at US$1 million.
By her defence, the defendant avers that the plaintiff acted unfairly and without lawful justifications, having neglected and deliberately refused to cater for the welfare of the defendant and issues of their previous marriage, and also neglected the payment of child support ordered by a US court.
She also pointed out that besides deliberately investing marital funds in the names of relatives and associates, he (plaintiff) attempted to sell the defendant’s property at Trasaco by listing it on Andos Properties and Heclo Realty, which attempt was described as dishonest and deliberately and unlawfully contrived to deny her (defendant) off her lawful property.
She also denied claims by the plaintiff that he had a practice in the US and explained that the plaintiff abandoned the said practice before his return to Ghana.
The defendant also confirmed that the plaintiff and herself are divorced and stood by the publication, the subject matter of the defamation suit, stating that no damage had been caused to the plaintiff’s reputation, because it was true and without malice, having neglected the third defendant and children, as well as investing marital funds for his benefit, to the exclusion of the defendant.
With the stated defence to the plaintiff’s claims, the third defendant has prayed the court to dismiss the suit, said to have been deliberately commenced without any justification.
Meanwhile, the plaintiff, responding to the defendant’s defence, has denied that the $400,000 invested in Menzgold was a marital asset, but a business loan taken in the name of New Covenant Medical Associates and CareStar Health Associates, and that the said investment was done to maximise the returns on investment to pay back the loan expeditiously.
He also insisted that the investments were made in his (Dr. Bannor) name and requested the defendant to prove her claims.
Really, extra marital affairs with both males and females 😳