BY Nadia Ntiamoah
A fresh legal battle over alleged defamation has erupted in Accra, as Selma Ramatu Al-Hassan, a retired and respected former newscaster at the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), has filed a lawsuit against outspoken media personality Captain Smart, Onua Television, and its parent company Media General Ghana Limited.
The suit, lodged at the High Court on January 28, 2026, seeks GH¢10 million in damages over claims that false and damaging statements were made about her during a televised programme.
The case stems from remarks allegedly made on November 28, 2025, during a programme hosted by Captain Smart, legally known as Blessed Godsbrain Smart.
According to court filings, the broadcast accused Al-Hassan of having a child out of wedlock with the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The plaintiff contends that the assertions were not only untrue but were presented in a manner suggesting she had engaged in an immoral, adulterous and illicit relationship with the former president.
In her statement of claim, Selma Al-Hassan argues that the allegations struck at the very core of her personal integrity and professional reputation, particularly given her long-standing public service career and standing in Ghanaian society.
She maintains that the broadcast portrayed her as a woman of questionable morals, exposing her to public ridicule, contempt and social disgrace.
The lawsuit further highlights that the alleged defamatory content did not end with the initial television airing. The plaintiff claims the programme was later uploaded onto Onua TV’s website and circulated widely across social media platforms, where it attracted extensive public engagement.
She says the online spread triggered a wave of disparaging commentary, with some users allegedly branding her as a “home breaker” and a woman of loose character.
Madam Al-Hassan also states that the broadcast reopened deeply painful personal memories connected to her only child, whom she says was born out of her legitimate marriage to the late Alhaji Tijani Nagaya, who died in 2004.
She insists the claims were fabricated and emotionally distressing, describing them as a serious attack on her dignity and family legacy.
The defendants named in the suit include Captain Smart as the first defendant, the Chief Executive Officer of Onua Television as the second defendant, Onua Television as the third defendant, and Media General Ghana Limited as the fourth defendant.
The plaintiff accuses them of acting maliciously, arguing that they knowingly allowed false content to be aired, failed to take it down promptly, and permitted it to trend online despite its defamatory implications.
As part of her reliefs, Selma Al-Hassan is asking the court to declare the broadcast defamatory and to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making or circulating similar allegations in the future.
She is also requesting that the court compel the defendants to retract the publication and issue a public apology across television, radio, and online platforms, with the same prominence as the original broadcast, on three separate occasions.
In addition to the apology and injunction, the retired broadcaster is demanding GH¢10 million in punitive damages, along with legal costs and solicitors’ fees.
The High Court has directed the defendants to enter an appearance within eight days of being served with the writ. Failure to comply, the court warned, could result in judgment being entered against them in their absence.
