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Hugh Clement A. Brown, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, has filed a GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit against Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, over allegations made during a broadcast on July 10, 2025.
The suit, lodged at the High Court in Accra, stems from comments made by the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on OHIA TV’s programme The Evidence. During the broadcast, Baffoe accused Mr. Brown of forging documents, unlawfully authorising the sale of forest reserves, and backdating official letters to implicate the previous government in illegal mining deals.
Mr. Brown strongly refutes the allegations, describing them as “false, malicious, and without any factual basis.” His legal team argues the statements were intended to portray him as corrupt and dishonest, seriously damaging his reputation both in Ghana and internationally.
As part of his reliefs, the plaintiff is demanding:
GH¢15 million in general damages for libel,
GH¢5 million in exemplary damages,
Six televised public apologies and retractions on major TV networks including GTV, TV3, Joy TV, and OHIA TV,
Four weeks of printed retractions in the Daily Graphic,
A formal apology published on all OHIA TV’s digital platforms.
Mr. Brown, a seasoned forester with a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology, has served in the Forestry Commission since 1993 and held multiple senior roles. He was appointed Acting CEO in January 2025, months after the documents in question were allegedly signed.
He maintains that he could not have signed or authorised any documents in mid-2024, as alleged by Baffoe, because he was not in office at the time. He also denies any attempt to frame the previous NPP administration.
