A Ghanaian digital healthcare company has dragged the Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh to court, accusing him of making false and damaging public statements that cost the firm major international business opportunities.
In a writ filed by Lightwave eHealth Care Solutions Ltd against the Minister, Akandoh appeared on Onua Television’s popular morning programme “Maakye” — hosted by journalist Captain Smart — where he allegedly told viewers that Lightwave had been paid $77 million out of a total contract sum of $100 million for work carried out “without any monitoring and or evaluation.”
Per the statement of case, the Minister allegedly claimed the company had only delivered services to 450 health facilities instead of the 950 contracted, that its health management software was not functioning across Ghana, and that Ghanaian citizens’ electronic medical records were being hosted and controlled by an entity in India rather than by the Ghanaian government.
Again the Minister allegedly accused the company of fraudulently billing and receiving $11 million in 2024 — a claim Lightwave flatly denies, saying no such payment was requested or received that year.
The company claims that prior to the Minister’s statements, it and its US-based parent company were in advanced discussions with the World Bank for a proposed electronic healthcare partnership valued at approximately $50 million.
According to the suit, the negative media coverage triggered by Akandoh’s remarks caused the World Bank to suspend the proposed partnership, resulting in substantial financial losses on both sides of the Atlantic.
“The world is presently a global platform where news, and in particular false news, travels faster,” the company states in its filing, noting that the Minister’s remarks were widely circulated through both traditional and digital media.
Reliefs
The company is seeking a court declaration that the Minister’s statements were malicious falsehoods with no basis in truth.
It is also asking the court to order Akandoh to publicly retract his statements and issue a formal apology, the terms of which would be approved by the court.
Beyond that, Lightwave is seeking compensation for economic losses, general damages, and legal costs with the exact figures to be determined by the court.
The court has granted an order for substituted service for the writ to be posted on notice boards, including that of Parliament and the High Court.
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