Adebayor sues Togo journalist for defamation

Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has taken legal action against a Togolese sports journalist on grounds of alleged defamation, AFP learnt from a legal source on Tuesday.

Lawyers for Adebayor issued a writ against Prosper Komi Agboklou, otherwise known as ‘Prosper the German’, for “broadcasting false information, defamation and impugning the honour” of the former Togo captain.

The journalist is accused of claiming on a programme on a private television channel that Adebayor, who retired from international football in April, was the cause of a rift between the players and management prior to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nation qualifier in Chad on July 1.

The Togo players had refused to travel on the date officially set aside by their football federation because, according to Agboklou, they decided to stay in Lome to go to a party organised by Adebayor in one of the capital’s nightclubs.

The match went ahead on schedule and ended in a 2-2 draw.

The Association of Sports Journalists in Togo (AJST) issued a statement “deploring” the writ and underlining its faith in Agboklou.

Adebayor retired from playing for Togo after their team bus was attacked by armed rebels while travelling to this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, resulting in the deaths of two of the team’s delegation.