A Kenyan woman living in the US has filed a defamation suit against a Ghanaian prophet after he allegedly described her as a witch during a preaching session aired on YouTube. The court papers on the suit between Adella Mwanzia and Prophet David Owusu (l,r), the preacher who is being sued (c). Mwanzia sues for KSh 6 million Adelle Mwanzia sued Prophet David Owusu of the Grace Arena Ministries after claiming that the man of God defamed her on July 22, 2023, during his program, where he reportedly told her sister that she was not only very evil but that she had swapped her life. ‘Your sister Adella is very evil, she is occultic. She is living your life. You were supposed to be in the US and she was supposed to be here. She swapped your life. She does meditation, she is not a budhhist, she is a witch,”she says in court papers accesed by TUKO.co.ke. According to Mwanzia’s lawyer, Samuel Ochieng, Mwanzia seeks KSh 6 million in general damages. Through Ochieng, Mwanzia says that the words published by Owuso were meant to paint her as an outcast who uses witchcraft to gain wealth. He said that the defamatory words were uttered when Owuso was interviewing Mwanzia’s sister during a church service in his church, based in Industrial Area in Nairobi, and were published on his church’s YouTube channel (GAM). Mwanzia gets distressed among family numbers He said that the allegations caused his client untold embarrassment and distress among family, friends, and the community at large, and the damage is irreparable. The advocate added that by posting the said television interview, his client was identified by a large number of unquantified viewers as the statement was carried over the TV/YouTube channel, which reached a wide audience including her children, brother’s sisters, close family friends, former schoolmates, work colleagues, employees, and peers in her professional circle. Ochieng further told the court that Owuso exhibited malice by refusing and failing to consult or obtain a comment from his client before publishing the statements that touched on her character and moral standing. However, in his defence, Owusu denied Mwanzia’s claims, saying that the suit was frivolous and an abuse of the court process, which should, therefore, be struck out. “Paragraph 12 is admitted, at the earliest opportune time, the defendant shall move the court to strike the plaintiff’s claim on grounds of it being frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the Court process,” read the court papers. Owuso added that he does not know Mwanzia. “The plaintiff denied in totality the averments contained in paragraph 8 and stated that the plaintiff herein is a stranger to him; therefore, the allegations of malice and particulars of malice therein are vehemently denied, and the plaintiff is put to strict proof of the same,” he stated in his statement of defense. Mwanzia is also seeking an apology, general damages for libel, general damages for malicious falsehoods, and damages for psychological and emotional distress. Pastor Adegoke Jeremiah Sues Chef Dammy for KSh 3.8m Elsewhere, the founder of Spirit Word Global Mission, Pastor Adegoke Jeremiah, dragged Chef Dammy to court after she accused him of being after her life. Pastor Adegoke demanded KSh 3.8 million for damages from the Ekiti chef days after the serious accusation.
by Susan Mwenesi