Asamoah Gyan to settle 50% of over GH¢1m judgment debt within 30 days - Court orders

A High Court in Accra has ordered former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan to pay 50% of a judgment debt amounting to over GH¢1 million within 30 days.

The ruling follows a legal dispute in which Gyan was found liable.

The High Court presided over by Justice Ernest Owusu-Dapaa, has ordered former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan to pay 50% of a judgment debt exceeding GH¢1 million within 30 days. This decision follows Gyan's request for a stay of execution pending his appeal against the judgment.

On December 8, 2023, the court ruled in favor of entertainment journalist Osarfo Anthony, who had filed a case of malicious prosecution against Gyan. The court ordered Gyan to compensate Anthony for damages, amounting to more than a million cedis. Nearly five months later, Gyan and his legal team sought a stay of execution and filed a notice of appeal to challenge the judgment.

During a hearing on May 8, 2024, Justice Owusu-Dapaa granted Gyan's request for a stay of execution, provided that he deposits half of the judgment amount. The court directed that this sum be paid to the court's registrar within 30 days, excluding weekends and public holidays. The funds will be invested in a Government of Ghana 182-day Treasury Bill on a rollover basis until the appeal is resolved.

Justice Owusu-Dapaa emphasized the fairness of this arrangement for both parties. He acknowledged Gyan's substantial earnings as a world-class professional footballer and considered the potential difficulty Anthony might face in refunding the judgment debt if the appeal favored Gyan.

Conversely, the arrangement protects Anthony from the risk of Gyan being unable to pay if he loses the appeal.

The case dates back to an incident where Gyan and his manager, Samuel Anim Addo, had Osarfo Anthony arrested and prosecuted for alleged extortion. Following Anthony's acquittal in a case involving an alleged rape incident between Gyan and Sarah Kwablah, Anthony sued for malicious prosecution.

He demanded compensation of GH¢1 million, which the court upheld, finding that the report to the police by Gyan's manager was based on falsehoods intended to protect Gyan's image during transfer negotiations to a Chinese club.

Justice Owusu-Dapaa's detailed judgment highlighted that the evidence showed Anthony was not extorting money from Gyan when the arrest report was made.

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