Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC, is the target of a defamation lawsuit brought by Dr. Hugh Clement A. Brown, the Forestry Commission’s acting chief executive officer.
Due to accusations made on his online television channel, OHIA TV, the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party is facing a lawsuit for GH¢20 million in damages.
Mr. Baffoe accused Dr. Brown in a broadcast on July 10, 2025, of backdating letters to implicate the previous administration, falsifying official documents, and illegally authorizing the sale of forest reserves.
Dr. Brown stated in his statement of claim that the claims made on OHIA TV’s “The Evidence” program were untrue and intended to harm his reputation both domestically and abroad.
He is requesting GH¢5 million in exemplary damages, GH¢15 million in general damages for libel, and a number of public retractions and apologies that will be broadcast and printed in major newspapers and television networks.
“The statements were made maliciously and without any factual basis,” the Plaintiff said.
Lawyers for the Plaintiff stated that the televised accusations implied their client was “an embezzler, a dishonest and fraudulent person, and a thief.”
Since 1993, Dr. Brown, a certified forester with a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology, has held a number of high-level positions with the Commission, including Executive Director of the Forest Services Division and Director of Operations.
He was appointed Acting Chief Executive in January 2025.
Mr. Baffoe alleged that Dr Brown issued documents in mid-2024, prior to his appointment, to facilitate payments from mining companies for forest entry permits.
The documents were reportedly dated May and June 2024 and bore Dr Brown’s signature as Acting Chief Executive.
He claimed the actions were part of a strategy to tarnish the image of the previous NPP-led administration by linking it to illegal mining deals.
“If you backdate a letter to make it look like these events happened under the NPP regime, then you are engaging in forgery,” Mr. Baffoe said during the broadcast.
He further alleged that Dr Brown collected payments through unofficial means and diverted proceeds from forest reserves into private hands.
Dr Brown disputes all claims, asserting that he had not assumed the role of Acting CEO at the time the documents were allegedly signed.
He also denied any attempt to implicate the NPP or engage in financial misconduct.
As part of his relief, Dr Brown is requesting six televised apologies from Mr. Baffoe to be aired on GTV, TV3, Joy TV, and OHIA TV, alongside printed retractions in the Daily Graphic over four consecutive weeks.
He is also demanding a formal apology on all OHIA TV digital platforms.
The defendant has not yet responded formally to the lawsuit.
