By Yaw Opoku Amoako

Copyright ghanaguardian

Former Board Chairman of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Gary Nimako Marfo, has dragged the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and some of its affiliates to court, demanding GHS10 million in damages over a report on the Authority’s engagement with KGL Technology Limited.

The case, filed at the High Court in Accra on September 30, 2025, also names Seth J. Bokpe of The Fourth Estate, MFWA’s Executive Director Sulemana Braimah, and journalists William Nlanjerbor Jalulah and Philip Teye Agbove as defendants.

According to Mr. Nimako, who is also a lawyer, the investigative piece falsely suggested that the NLA had “given away a GHS3 billion business in exchange for peanuts.” He contends that the publication — which carried his image and a bold headline — was defamatory, malicious, and deliberately crafted to damage his reputation as well as that of his colleagues who previously served on the NLA board.

The Fourth Estate’s report alleged that the Authority had effectively transferred a revenue stream estimated at GHS3 billion to KGL Technology Limited for an annual payment of only GHS170 million.

The exposé quickly drew public debate and criticism of the NLA’s leadership.

In his writ, Mr. Nimako is asking the court for:

A declaration that the publication was defamatory and unjustifiable.
A ruling that the report sought to provoke public disaffection against him and other board members.
An order compelling the defendants to issue a retraction and apology with the same visibility as the original story.
GHS10 million in general damages.
Costs, including solicitor’s fees.

Meanwhile, former NLA Director-General Samuel Awuku has also faulted the report, describing it as one-sided and unreflective of the Authority’s broader mandate through its Good Causes Foundation.

In a statement dated September 25, Mr. Awuku confirmed that the Foundation had supported events like the EMY Awards and the Ghana CEO Summit, but dismissed suggestions of financial mismanagement.

He stressed that such sponsorships represented no more than 5% of the Foundation’s budget and were targeted at brand visibility to attract corporate support for the NLA’s Caritas Lottery Platform.

He added that, over the past three years, the Foundation’s programmes had made a tangible impact on vulnerable communities, reinforcing the Authority’s social responsibility commitments.