The Chronicle newspaper is appealing against a GHS500,000 damages awarded against it for publishing libelous materials against Vice Chancellor of the Wisconsin University, Prof Kaku Sagari Nokoe. The court also awarded GHS10,000 cost against the newspaper. Editor Ebo Quansah told Joy News’ Cyrus deGraft Johnson his lawyers have also filed for a stay of execution of the court’s decision. According to him, he has information the judge has granted their request for a stay of execution and has ordered the reopening of the offices of the newspaper which had been closed for days after they failed to pay the damages. Myjoyonline.com is however yet to independently confirm that claim. Meanwhile the plaintiff has sworn to take his pound of flesh from the newspaper for what he says is the paper’s reckless reportage. The Chronicle had reported in 2008 - at a time when Ebo Quansah was not the editor - that the plaintiff, who was then the Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies had sold the students' hostels to himself. The hostels were built during the CAN 2008 as part of accommodation for the tournament. Brother of the plaintiff told Joy News, Prof Nokoe had repeatedly drawn the attention of the newspaper to the obvious untruth it was publishing. He said they had written several rejoinders, all of which the paper ignored and went ahead with a second publication repeating the same falsehood. “They must suffer in their pockets for it,” he said. According to him they had sued the paper for 10 billion in damages but the court awarded GHS500,000 in damages and GHS10,000 in cost. He said they are bent on selling the assets of the newspaper to recover their debts and to repair the bruised reputation of Prof Nokoe.