The High Court at Adenta on Thursday, November 16, 2023, struck out a lawsuit brought against Mohammed Ismail Sharrif, popularly known as Black Sherif, by Cruise People Ltd.

The case was based on an alleged breach of a performance contract by Black Sherif’s team.

Per information gathered by classfmonline.com, Black Sherif was billed to perform on a cruise ship in Athens, Greece, on August 19, 2023, for the second edition of Cruise People Ltd’s Afro Cruise Jam 2023.

However, before the scheduled date for the show, the contract was unilaterally terminated by the promoter; Daniel Vanderpuje of Cruise People Ltd.

He alleged publicity breaches as a reason.

Following the termination of the contract, the promoter demanded a refund of the deposit of US$20,000 from Black Sherif.

The Cruise People Ltd.’s demand of the deposit was resisted by Black Sherif’s team on the basis that the contract was originally and singlehandedly terminated by the Cruise People. Black Sherif rather insisted that he was entitled to compensation for the unilateral termination of the contract.

The promoter, Daniel Vanderpuye, aggrieved by the turn of events, resorted to court action for; a refund of the deposit paid, interest on the said amount, compensation for loss of revenue and profits, general damages for breach of contract, and costs.

Black Sherif’s legal team; Dominic Brenya-Otchere esq., Kenneth Paa Kwesi Agyir esq. and Esther Addai esq. of Sam Okudzeto and Associates, entered conditional appearance and filed an application to strike out the suit on grounds that the dispute resolution clause in the contract stipulated that any dispute arising out of the contract shall be settled exclusively in the United Kingdom.

On October 19, 2023, the Court ordered the parties to file written submissions, within two weeks, and adjourned the matter to November 16, 2023, for ruling.

On the D-Day, the High Court Judge granted Black Sherif’s application, noting that the subject matter of the dispute was not closely connected to Ghana.

Her Ladyship Mariama Sammo was of the view that, the parties, for all intents and purposes, wanted all disputes arising thereto to be resolved in the UK. Thus, she struck out the Plaintiff’s writ and statement of claim as the action had been commenced in the wrong forum.

Consequently, there is no suit pending against Black Sherif respecting the contract between him and the Cruise People Ltd.

Moving forward, according to a source close to Black Sherif, if Cruise People Ltd. commences any further action in the proper forum, the Soja hitmaker’s team will counterclaim for the full contract sum, interest, and damages for breach of contract.

The Plaintiff was represented by Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamekloe, the Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).