Hugh Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission and Dakyehene Nana Yaw Asante
The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh C A Brown, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Impact Media Limited, operators of New 88.3 FM, and one of its presenters, Nana Yaw Asante also known as Dakyehene, demanding damages totalling GH¢20 million, a public apology, and an injunction to restrain further publication of what he describes as malicious falsehoods.
The writ, filed at the High Court in Accra on July 25, 2025, stems from a broadcast aired on the station’s morning show on July 16, 2025.
During the programme, the second defendant allegedly accused Dr Brown of issuing permits to four companies to engage in illegal mining in forest reserves, backdating official letters to conceal the act, and attempting to shift blame onto the previous administration.
Dr Brown, a veteran forester with over three decades of public service, contended that the allegations have no basis in fact.
In his statement of claim, he described the broadcast as a calculated attempt to portray him as “a dishonest person with the mind of a thief” who is actively undermining the fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
The statement detailed how the programme accused him of backdating permits to allow illegal mining in forest reserves already reclaimed by the state.
The presenter, Dakyehene, is alleged to have insisted on the availability of documents supporting the claim and further threatened to stage a personal protest against President John Dramani Mahama should Dr Brown remain in office.
Dr Brown vehemently denied issuing any permits for mining and argued that the letters in question were internal approvals addressed to the Executive Director of the Forest Services Division, not entry permits.
He further explained that the mention of the year 2024 in the documents was a typographical error, which had already been corrected in an official rejoinder issued by the Forestry Commission on July 14, 2025.
According to the suit, the defendants had been served the rejoinder but chose not to broadcast or publish it.
Dr Brown accused the defendants of acting with actual malice and reckless disregard for the truth, claiming their objective was to increase viewership and enhance their media profile at the expense of his reputation.
He insisted that a simple inquiry or verification with the Commission would have clarified the nature and legality of the documents referred to on air.
He is seeking GH¢15 million in general damages for libel, GH¢5 million in exemplary damages, and a perpetual injunction to bar the defendants from further broadcasting the allegedly defamatory content.
He is also demanding retractions and apologies on a range of television and radio platforms including GTV, Joy News, GHOne TV, Peace FM, and Adom FM, as well as the New 88.3 FM website and social media handles.
Additionally, the plaintiff is requesting publication of apologies on the front and back pages of the Daily Graphic newspaper for four consecutive weeks.
AM
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