Zakaria Abdulai sues Manasseh Azure for GH₵2m over sexual abuse report

Zakaria Abdulai, the interdicted headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), has filed a defamation lawsuit against investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and the Multimedia Group. The legal action, filed in response to an investigative report alleging the sexual abuse of female students, seeks GH₵2 million in damages. Abdulai is requesting the court to declare that the statements made against him were false, malicious, and intended to tarnish his professional reputation.

The lawsuit follows a series of investigative reports that detailed allegations of sexual misconduct involving several female students at the Obuasi-based school. These reports led to immediate administrative consequences for Abdulai, including his interdiction by the Ghana Education Service (GES). The plaintiff contends that the published information lacked a factual basis and has caused significant harm to his standing in the community and the education sector.

This legal challenge marks the 12th defamation suit filed against Manasseh Azure Awuni since 2015, a period during which he has published numerous high-profile investigative pieces. While the civil suit progresses through the court system, the underlying allegations remain the subject of an active criminal investigation. The matter had previously been reported to the authorities, and the police are currently continuing their inquiries into the claims made in the original investigative report.

The outcome of this case is expected to have implications for investigative journalism standards and the protocols for handling abuse allegations within the Ghana Education Service. For now, Abdulai remains away from his post at Obuasi SHTS as the legal and administrative processes run their course. The court will determine whether the reporting by Mr. Azure and the Multimedia Group meets the standards of public interest journalism or constitutes defamation.