Hot Source…As COCOBOD, Forestry bosses separately pursue him
Dr Ransford Antertey Abbey, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has initiated a high-stakes legal battle, suing Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, for defamation.
The suit, filed on Tuesday, 26 August 2025, seeks GH¢20 million in damages over what Dr Abbey describes as false, malicious and defamatory statements made by Abronye during a public broadcast.
Dr Abbey’s writ is the second in a series of writs against the defendant, with damages put at GH20 million. Hugh Clement A. Brown, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Forestry Commission, filed a defamation lawsuit in July this year against Kwame Baffoe, seeking GH¢20 million in damages.
According to Dr Abbey’s lawyers, Abronye, who is also the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and operates the online television station OHIA TV, made a series of false and defamatory claims against Dr Abbey during a broadcast on 23 August 2025.
The plaintiff, through his lawyers, contends that these statements have gravely injured his reputation and subjected him to public scandal, odium and contempt.
The Statement of Claim outlines the specific Twi and English statements made by the defendant. The central accusation, as translated in the document, alleges that Dr Abbey is a “proud and arrogant person” who, when visiting cocoa farms, brings along his own chair in a separate Land Cruiser at the expense of poor cocoa farmers, whose money is used to buy fuel for the vehicles due to his refusal to sit on chairs provided by farmers.
More seriously, Abronye accused Abbey of manipulating internal appointments to enable embezzlement of public funds. Healleges that Dr Abbey is a thief who appointed a new Director of Finance with the intention of “stealing money from the Ghana Cocoa Board to the detriment of the poor cocoa farmer.”
Dr Abbey, who is also a member of the Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association and President of Hearts of Lions FC, vehemently denies the allegations.
He insists that, by virtue of his two decades of professional experience and numerous leadership positions in media, sports and business, he is a man of high moral character and proven integrity, not an “embezzler, dishonest, fraudulent person or thief,” as Abronye portrayed.
In addition to the GH¢20 million in general and punitive damages, Dr Abbey is seeking several other reliefs from the court.
These include an order for an unconditional retraction and an unqualified apology to be published across all of the defendant’s platforms, including his social media accounts, for a continuous period of one month.
He is also seeking a perpetual injunction from the court, restraining Abronye from making any further defamatory publications.
The writ of summons, issued by the High Court of Justice in Accra, commands Kwame Baffoe to enter an appearance within eight days of service.
According to court documents, Abronye accused Dr Abbey of abusing public resources and engaging in corrupt practices in his role at COCOBOD. The statements, made during a broadcast and subsequently circulated on social media, claimed that Dr Abbey used state resources, including multiple Land Cruisers, to transport a personal chair from Accra to cocoa farms for visits, allegedly due to his refusal to sit on chairs provided by farmers.
Abronye further alleged that Dr Abbey manipulated internal appointments to facilitate the embezzlement of public funds.
The legal action, filed by COCOBOD’s Legal Department, asserts that the statements have damaged Dr Abbey’s reputation and subjected him to public ridicule and contempt.
The suit is seeking a declaration that Abronye’s statements are defamatory, a full retraction and unqualified apology to be published across all platforms, removal of all defamatory content from the internet, as well as general, punitive and compensatory damages totalling GH¢20 million.
Dr Abbey also seeks a perpetual injunction to prevent any further defamatory publications, together with legal costs and any other reliefs deemed appropriate by the court.
He maintains that the allegations are entirely false and calculated to tarnish his hard-earned professional reputation. His legal team stresses that public discourse must be anchored in truth and accountability, particularly where it involves individuals entrusted with public office.
As of now, Abronye has yet to respond publicly to the suit.
This latest case comes just weeks after Hugh Clement A. Brown, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, filed a similar defamation action in July against Kwame Baffoe, also seeking GH¢20 million in damages.
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