The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local music artist Moses Ssali alias Bebe Cool and his wife, Zuena Kirema Ssali have sued Martin Shafat Ssaku of Mart barber hair studio and his company Mart Barber Group of Companies Limited for alleged defamation.
In their suit before the High Court Civil Division filed through their lawyers of KSMO Advocates, the couple contends Ssaku appeared on a local television station last month claiming that they have been doing haircuts and using his saloon services for long without paying him. He allegedly claimed the couple owes him up to Shillings 3 million.
Ssaku also allegedly said and made various posts on social media platforms, saying the couple maintains a high -end lifestyle yet they cannot even afford to pay for the saloon services offered to them. According to the couple, the statements by Ssaku were malicious and made in bad faith, since they always paid Ssaku’s bills as a family each time they visit his studio.
The couple now alleges that the words were understood by their peers and right-thinking members of society that Bebe Cool and his wife are fraudsters who want to live a luxurious life through indebtedness, which isn’t true. The couple says the words were insensitive and damaged their reputation as well.
In the suit, Bebe Cool also accuses Ssaku’s studio of using his wife’s pictures and videos on its social media pages without the family’s consent to illicitly enrich him. To prove their point, the couple has attached a number of Zuena’s pictures as Miss Uganda that were allegedly used by Ssaku to advertise his hair cut services on social media, saying he rode on their hard earned fame and celebrity life without their consent.
They now want court to order Ssaku and his company to pay them Shillings 200 million as damages caused to them. The couple also wants the High Court to issue a permanent injunction restraining Ssaku from making such defamatory statements again. The High Court Civil Division Registrar is yet to summon Ssaku to file his defense before the suit is allocated to a Judge for hearing.
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