Nyantakyi piles defamation pressure on BBC after broadcaster loses Richard case

Published on: 18 July 2018
Nyantakyi piles defamation pressure on BBC after broadcaster loses Richard case
Nyantakyi is seeking legal options in England to sue the BBC in court

Ex-Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi is set to pile further pressure on the BBC with another damaging legal case after the broadcaster lost a privacy case against Sir Cliff Richard on Wednesday.

Nyantakyi is seeking legal assistance from lawyers in England to file two legal cases against the global broadcaster, citing defamation and invasion of privacy.

The ex-CAF vice president was filmed by Anas Aremeyaw Anas receiving monies which the controversial journalist described as bribes but Nyantakyi said it was a reimbursement of his travelling expenses.

The report also claimed that $65,000 was paid to Nyantakyi who said he was only given $40,000 as the money he spent travelling with several high profile people and housing them in hotels.

The two main cliams are the arguments Nyantakyi will use against Anas, who has since been hit with 25 legal suits after the broadcast of his football documentary.

The BBC broadcasted parts of the Anas investigation but only on Monday denied playing any role to wriggle out of the impending legal cases.

Nyantakyi's friends say the BBC cannot wriggle themselves of the an legal challenge as they provided the platform for the spreading of 'calculated lies and defamation' by Anas.

The former football leader has already slapped Anas with three legal suits in Ghana and he is now eyeing another one in England against the BBC whose leaders are already being lambasted for over the legal case won by Sir Cliff Richard on Wednesday.

The ruling is a significant blow to the reputation of the BBC and all its journalists who defended the defamation of Sir Cliff Richard.

The smug self justification of senior executives on the BBC now ensures their personal liability for the damages levied and all other costs arising.

Richard has won his privacy case against the BBC and will be awarded £210,000 in damages following a lengthy legal battle with the broadcaster after it reported the singer was being investigated over historic child sex assault claims.

The judgment, handed down in central London on Wednesday morning, comes almost four years after the BBC broke the news that South Yorkshire police had searched the singer’s home in relation to the accusation.

The judge said Richard would be awarded £190,000 damages. He was also awarded a further £20,000 aggravated damages for the BBC’s decision to nominate the story for the Royal Television Society’s scoop of the year award.

Mr Justice Mann said the BBC reported in a “somewhat sensationalist” way.

Richard strongly denied the claims and no charges were brought, prompting the singer to sue the BBC for a “very serious invasion” of his privacy after it flew a helicopter over his home to film police during the raid.

The singer, 77, is one of the most successful recording artists in British history. His legal team said he had suffered “possibly permanent damage to his self-esteem, standing and reputation” by the coverage of claims he sexually assaulted a young boy following a Billy Graham rally in Sheffield in 1985.

The story broke at a time when several of the UK’s veteran celebrities were facing accusations of child sex abuse in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Richard has said he spent £3.4m bringing the privacy case, which the BBC felt obliged to fight because it insisted its coverage was fair and proportionate.

He had been demanding damages at the “top end” of the scale from the corporation.

The BBC will pay all the legal costs for Sir Richard in addition to the £210,000 in damages.

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