The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Hugh Clement A. Brown, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as ‘Abronye DC’, seeking GH¢20 million in damages at the Accra High Court.
The suit, filed on July 23, 2025 by Hugh Clement Brown’s legal counsel, Law Trust Company, follows a series of serious allegations made by Mr. Kwame Baffoe, during a televised broadcast.
In the broadcast, Kwame Baffoe accused the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission of forgery, backdating official documents and illegally authorizing the sale of state-owned forest reserves to illegal miners.
The plaintiff is requesting a perpetual injunction to restrain Mr. Kwame Baffoe from making or publishing further defamatory statements.
According to the writ, the defamatory remarks were made in Twi, during a widely circulated video that has since gone viral on social media.
In the recording, Abronye DC alleged that Mr. Brown, prior to his official appointment as CEO in January 2025 forged documents and issued permits for mining activities in forest reserves, including the Gyemena and Offinso Forest Reserves.
Mr. Brown claims that the publication implies, among other things, that the Plaintiff fraudulently backdated a letter to June 11, 2024 to authorize the sale of a forest reserve.
He criminally sold the Jimira Forest Reserve and misappropriated the proceeds, paying only GH¢1,455,500 to the Forestry Commission, facilitated illegal mining by granting unauthorized entry permits, and he is being shielded from arrest by the police and security agencies due to political connections.
Mr. Brown has categorically denied all allegations, insisting that he has never acted illegally or fraudulently.
He explained that the letters referenced in the broadcast were not entry permits, but rather approvals granted to the Executive Director of the Forest Services Division.
These approvals, he states, were legally issued following consultation with the sector minister and were properly documented and copied to the appropriate authorities.
The Forestry Commission issued a rejoinder on July 14, 2025 through its Corporate Affairs & Media Relations Unit, clarifying that the dates “2024” cited in the documents were clerical errors and should have read “2025.”
The rejoinder also debunked claims of fraud or unauthorized sale, emphasizing that neither the Jimira Forest Reserve nor the Offin Shelterbelt Forest Reserve had been sold, and that the state had not lost any revenue.
Despite receiving this rejoinder via WhatsApp, on his known number (020 808 1484), the Defendant reportedly dismissed it as “absolutely balderdash” in a message sent at 11:50 a.m. on July 14, 2025.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission also contends that the defamatory broadcast has seriously damaged his reputation, subjected him to public ridicule and contempt, and caused immense personal and professional distress.
He has received numerous calls and faced embarrassing questions from colleagues, business associates and acquaintances, both locally and internationally.
The suit accuses Mr. Baffoe of acting with malice, stating that he made the allegations during a prime-time broadcast on OHIA TV’s flagship program to maximize their impact.
Mr. Brown further argues that a simple inquiry with him or the Forestry Commission could have disproved the claims before publication.
The Plaintiff is seeking the following reliefs – general damages of GH¢20 million for libel, a perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from further defamatory publications, an unqualified retraction and apology published across all platforms where the original broadcast appeared, and any other reliefs the Court deems appropriate.
Mr. Brown asserts that the statements were “completely false and malicious,” and “calculated to damage his reputation, injure his character and incite public hatred and mistrust toward him in his official capacity.”
As of press time, neither Mr. Baffoe nor his legal team has issued a public response to the lawsuit.
The Defendant has eight days from the date of service to enter an appearance, failing which a default judgment may be rendered.