![Court rejects Kan Dapaah\'s bid for default judgment in defamation case against Oliver](https://ocdn.eu/images/pulscms/ZGQ7MDA_/9be29b2db6350f40c7f6d724b3a7aff5.jpg)
The Accra High Court has rejected National Security Minister Kan Dapaah's request for a default judgment against Fix the Country convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor in connection to a defamation lawsuit.
The minister alleged that Barker-Vormawor accused him of attempting to bribe him to cease his activism. He then sued him on September 26 for defamation, seeking damages amounting to 10 million Ghana Cedis and an apology.
This came about in response to Barker-Vormawor's allegations that the Minister, along with Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance, and a Brigadier General, had promised him and some leaders of the #FixTheCountry Movement $1 million to cease their activities.
The minister alter filed an application for judgment in default on November 20 against Barker-Vormawor, arguing that the activist had failed to file a defense against the defamation suit. However, the court dismissed the application for judgment in default, as the activist's legal team argued against its appropriateness.
The lawyers representing Kan Dapaah, led by Bright Okyere-Adjekum, contended that Barker-Vormawor's failure to file a defense indicated a lack of any. The defendant’s legal team during the court proceedings on Thursday, November 29, disagreed with Kan Dapaah's default judgement request.
The court presided over by Justice Adu-Agyemang enquired from Barker-Vormawor whether he had a defense against the defamation allegations, to which his counsel Justice Dr. Srem-Sai answered in the affirmative. The judge then instructed Kan Dapaah's lawyers to withdraw their application. The court granted Barker-Vormawor a two-week period to submit his statement of defense, and the case has been adjourned until December 14.
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