Musician and social commentator, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A-Plus, has issued a qualified apology to Ghanaian businessman Hassan Zein following a defamation lawsuit.
In a Facebook post on May 14, A-Plus expressed regret for any damage caused to Mr. Zein’s reputation due to false statements made against him.
He clarified that he has dedicated his adult life to advocating for the voiceless and underprivileged in society and would never intentionally harm anyone’s image.
“It may interest you to know that I’ve spent my adult life fighting for the voiceless, underprivileged persons, especially women and children, and minority groups. However, I must admit that I was misinformed on this particular matter. I am grateful to you for the opportunity to apologize to bring finality to the matter,” the post read.
A-Plus acknowledged the distress and damage his false statements may have caused Mr. Zein and expressed his commitment to setting the record straight. He also offered to make amends if needed.
The apology comes after an Accra High Court ruling ordering A-Plus to retract and apologize to Mr. Zein for the defamatory publication made against him.
In December 2021, Mr. Zein filed a defamation lawsuit against A-Plus, alleging that the musician’s use of his picture along with defamatory comments on Facebook was intended to injure his reputation.
The lawsuit sought general damages of GH₵10 million and an order directing A-Plus to retract the defamatory comment and picture through the same medium used for the defamation.