- COCOBOD CEO Randy Abbey has refiled a GH¢20 million defamation suit against Abronye
- Earlier case was dismissed over procedural defects, not the merits
- Abbey accuses Abronye of making damaging claims on radio
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Randy Abbey, has refiled his GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit against the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye.
This follows an earlier decision by the Accra High Court to strike out the initial writ, describing it as procedurally flawed because it was filed by COCOBOD’s Legal Department rather than a private legal practitioner.
Plaintiff’s Case
In the fresh suit, filed through his lawyer, Alex Owoo, Mr Abbey alleges that Abronye damaged his reputation through remarks made during a radio programme. According to the writ, Abronye claimed that the COCOBOD CEO visits cocoa farms and interacts with farmers while being chauffeured from Accra with his own chair.
The plaintiff further contends that on the same platform, Abronye accused him of removing COCOBOD’s Director of Finance with the motive of misappropriating funds at the expense of cocoa farmers.
Mr Abbey has denied the allegations, describing the statements as a deliberate and malicious attempt to harm his image and undermine his credibility in the public sphere.
He maintains that the defendant made the comments with full knowledge of their potential to seriously damage his personal and professional reputation, particularly in his role as Acting Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD.
Beyond seeking damages, the plaintiff is asking the court to compel Abronye to issue an unconditional retraction, offer an unqualified apology, and completely remove the defamatory publications within 14 days of judgment.
He is also requesting a perpetual injunction to restrain Abronye, or anyone acting on his behalf, from making or publishing further defamatory statements against him.
