&w=64&q=75)
Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah has successfully convinced actress Martha Ankomah to settle the GH€5 million defamation lawsuit out of court after agreeing on terms of settlement.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday, 25th February, following an earlier breakdown in negotiations, which was announced in open court.
According to starrfm.com.gh as part of the settlement process, both parties are required to file the agreed terms and appear before the court on 1st April 2025, where Justice Forson Baah Agyepong will adopt it as a consent judgment.
On Tuesday, 25th February 2025, an initial proposal by Lil Win and his representatives to pay GH€150,000, which included GH€50,000 in legal fees, was outrightly rejected. Lawyers representing the plaintiff, Martha Ankomah, described the offer as "an eyesore."
READ MORE: Court sets date for Martha Ankomah vs Lilwin case as out-of-court settlement fails
We have been pursuing the defendant for a settlement," counsel for Ankomah stated. "My learned friend (counsel for Lil Win) is present, and I have contacted her multiple times to reach an agreement, but to no avail.
Rejection of Initial Offer
Counsel for the plaintiff revealed that it was only on the preceding Saturday that the defendant's legal team proposed a new offer, which was still deemed "an eyesore."
Nii Applatu Plange, counsel for the plaintiff, stated,
In our view, it is not an offer we can entertain further, so we have returned to court for the case to proceed.
The defence counsel confirmed that the statements made by the plaintiff’s legal team were largely accurate but insisted that Lil Win’s offer was "reasonable."
I am, however, surprised to hear my learned friend describe it as 'an eyesore, she remarked.
Acknowledging the plaintiff’s stance, she added, "We are at the mercy of the plaintiff and the court."
To clarify, counsel for the plaintiff further noted,
At the last sitting, we significantly reduced our demand from GH€5 million to GH€2 million. However, when my learned friend called, she only proposed covering legal fees and GH€100,000 for Martha to abandon the case.
According to him, this proposal was unacceptable and was the basis for his description of it as "an eyesore."
Counsel for the defendant explained that
We proposed GH€100,000 for Martha and GH€50,000 for legal fees, bringing the total to GH€150,000.
She further elaborated,
We are approaching Easter, and we recognise that the damages caused to the plaintiff are immeasurable.
We are doing this in the spirit of Christianity... We acknowledge that we cannot put a price on Martha Ankomah’s stature and reputation, she pleaded in mitigation.
She also disclosed that "We are proposing a substantial sum of 1.5 billion in old currency," arguing that the offer was reasonable.
However, the plaintiff’s legal team also raised concerns about the defendant’s handling of a retraction and apology, which was initially rejected.
Presiding judge Justice Forson Baah Agyepong, who had earlier encouraged both parties to settle, remarked, "I will not intervene any further; I have advised both parties sufficiently."
As the plaintiff’s legal team remained resolute in rejecting the GH€150,000 offer and insisted on proceeding with the case, Lil Win consulted his team. A member of his management whispered to his counsel, who then informed the court that Lil Win was willing to increase the offer to GH€200,000, inclusive of legal fees.
This prompted further discussions in open court, followed by a private negotiation session. After nearly two hours, both parties emerged to announce that they had reached a final agreement on the terms of settlement.
Following a review of their schedules, both parties agreed to return to court on 1st April 2025 for the terms to be officially adopted as a consent judgment.
Background
On 14th February 2024, actress Martha Ankomah filed a defamation lawsuit against Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah over allegedly derogatory comments made about her.
READ MORE: Martha Ankomah drags LilWin to court over recent attacks on her person
Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, was heard in a viral video allegedly making disparaging remarks about Ankomah’s standing in the film industry.
In her suit filed at the High Court in Accra, Martha Ankomah sought damages amounting to GH€5 million, along with a formal apology and retraction of the statements with the same level of publicity.
Her claims include:
"Damages in the sum of GH€5 million for the defamatory statements made by the defendant."
"Compensatory damages for harm caused to the plaintiff’s reputation."
"Aggravated damages for the reckless and malicious publication of the defamatory statements."
"An order directing the defendant to publish an apology and a retraction of the defamatory words with the same prominence."
Lil Win and his legal team have since entered an appearance in court, with both parties working towards an out-of-court settlement.