Case Update: Bishop R. Aryee vs Media Foundation for West Africa (1), Manasseh Azure Awuni (2), and Edwin Appiah (3)

On 17 May 2021, The Fourth Estate published an article entitled “Serving Lighthouse Pastor standing “against disloyalty” was paid £300,000 as ex-gratia”. The article referred to Bishop Richard Aryee, who heads the United Kingdom branch of The Lighthouse Chapel International. Bishop Aryee issued a legal claim in the UK complaining that the article would have been understood by readers to mean that he had been hypocritical in criticising six pastors who had sued the Lighthouse Chapel International, Ghana, that he had received payments from his church in suspicious circumstances and that he was not a loyal member of his church and was involved in the church primarily for financial gain.

The Fourth Estate does not accept that the article could be understood in this way but without any admission of liability is happy to confirm that there was no intention to convey such allegations. The article has been removed from our website and this matter has been resolved with Bishop Aryee on mutually agreed terms.