Forestry Commission Boss Sues Abronye DC for GH¢20 Million Over Defamation Claims

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr. Hugh Clement A. Brown, has filed a GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit against Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The suit follows statements made by Mr. Baffoe during a July 10, 2025 broadcast on his digital platform, OHIA TV, where he accused Dr. Brown of document forgery, illegal sale of forest reserves, and backdating official letters to falsely implicate the previous government in forest-related corruption.

In his statement of claim, Dr. Brown described the accusations as false, malicious, and intended to tarnish his personal and professional reputation both locally and internationally. He is seeking GH¢15 million in general damages for libel, GH¢5 million in exemplary damages, and public apologies across major media platforms.

“The statements were made recklessly and without factual justification,” the lawsuit states. The plaintiff’s legal team argued that the claims painted Dr. Brown as corrupt and deceitful, labeling him an “embezzler” and “thief.”

Dr. Brown, who holds a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology and has been with the Forestry Commission since 1993, was appointed Acting Chief Executive in January 2025. Prior to that, he served in various leadership positions, including Director of Operations and Executive Director of the Forest Services Division.

Mr. Baffoe alleged during the OHIA TV broadcast that Dr. Brown had backdated documents in May and June 2024 to facilitate unauthorized payments from mining firms and misappropriated proceeds from forest reserves — all allegedly done to smear the image of the previous NPP administration.

“If you backdate a letter to make it look like these events happened under the NPP regime, then you are engaging in forgery,” Abronye claimed during the broadcast.

Dr. Brown has firmly denied all allegations, maintaining that he was not in the role of Acting CEO at the time the said documents were issued and dismissed any suggestion of financial misconduct or political sabotage.

As part of his relief, Dr. Brown is demanding six public apologies to be broadcast on GTV, TV3, Joy TV, and OHIA TV, as well as printed retractions in the Daily Graphic for four consecutive weeks. He also requests formal apologies to be published on all OHIA TV digital platforms.

Mr. Baffoe has yet to issue a formal response to the lawsuit.