Former Ghanaian football star Asamoah Gyan has vowed to appeal the court ruling that ordered him to pay GHS1 million to journalist Anthony Sarfo for defamation.
Gyan, who is Ghana’s all-time leading scorer with 51 goals, was sued by Sarfo, a reporter for Ghana Soccer Net, after he and his manager Samuel Anim Addo accused him of conspiring to extort money from them in 2015.
The accusation stemmed from a story that Sarfo wrote about Gyan’s alleged involvement in a sodomy case with a Ghanaian musician. Sarfo claimed that he had evidence to back up his story, but Gyan and Addo denied the allegation and reported him to the police.
Sarfo was arrested and detained for four days but was later acquitted and discharged by the court in 2019. He then filed a GHS1 million lawsuit against Gyan and Addo, seeking compensation for the damage to his reputation and the trauma he suffered.
On March 31, 2023, the Accra High Court ruled in favor of Sarfo, finding that Gyan and Addo had defamed him and caused him emotional distress. The court ordered them to pay him GHS1 million as general damages, plus interest and legal fees.
However, Gyan has expressed his dissatisfaction with the judgment, describing it as “awful” and “unfair”. He told GHOne TV that he believed there was a conspiracy against him and that the judge did not consider their evidence. He said he would appeal the ruling, stating, “I will appeal because it doesn’t make sense. There is no way I should lose that case.”
Gyan, who retired from international football in 2019, is currently playing for Legon Cities FC in the Ghana Premier League. He is also the founder of the Asamoah Gyan Foundation, which supports education, health, and sports development in Ghana.
Gyan’s case has attracted a lot of attention in Ghana and beyond, as he is widely regarded as one of the country’s greatest footballers. He has played for clubs such as Sunderland, Rennes, Al Ain, and Shanghai SIPG, and has represented Ghana at four World Cups and seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
He is also known for his philanthropic and humanitarian activities, such as donating to orphanages, hospitals, and schools, and supporting the fight against malaria and COVID-19.
Despite the legal setback, Gyan remains hopeful that he will clear his name and restore his image. He said he was confident that justice would prevail in the end, adding, “There is a conspiracy somewhere. I will follow up this time. That judgment was very awful.”
Source: Ghana Soccer Net
