LilWin and Martha Ankomah
The High Court in Accra has expressed concern over delays in the GH¢5 million defamation case filed by actress Martha Ankomah against Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as LilWin.
The court’s concerns stem from the absence of LilWin and his legal team, despite both parties having agreed to file their terms of settlement by April 1, 2025.
Martha Ankomah filed the defamation suit over alleged disparaging comments LilWin made about her in public. These comments were reportedly in response to Martha’s statement that she avoids working with Kumawood actors due to what she described as a lack of quality in their storylines.
LilWin subsequently approached Martha to pursue an out-of-court settlement, prompting the court to adjourn the case to allow the parties to finalise an agreement.
However, on April 14, 2025, Martha’s lawyer, Nii Appiatu Plange, informed the court that all agreed terms had been submitted to LilWin’s legal team for signature, but no response had been received.
“I sent the agreed terms to the defendant’s lawyer for the defendant to sign in the middle of March, but as I speak, I have not heard anything from counsel,” Plange told the court.
Jalila Sumaila, who held brief for the substantive counsel Margaret Adjei-Twum, attributed the delay to the lead counsel’s illness, noting that the documents had now been sent to the defendant for signature. She requested an adjournment.
“My instructions are that the terms have been given to the defendant to sign, and substantive counsel is not well; hence, we are praying for a date,” Sumaila stated.
Representing the plaintiff, Plange responded:
“We will oblige them a last adjournment, and if they fail to sign, then we proceed with the matter.”
Presiding Judge Justice Forson Agyapong Baah expressed dissatisfaction with the defendant’s conduct:
“I honestly thought today we were going to adopt the terms of settlement. This dragging of feet in signing the terms is not good for anybody.”
The court has adjourned the case to May 14, 2025, warning that if the settlement terms are not filed by then, the case will proceed to trial.
“If at the next adjourned date, May 14, 2025, the terms have not been filed, the case shall proceed,” the court declared.