Dr Randy Abbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), has re-filed his GH¢20 million defamation suit against Bono Regional NPP Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye.
This time, Dr Abbey’s filing was made through a private legal practitioner, graphic.com.gh reports.
The decision follows the Accra High Court’s earlier dismissal of the suit as “procedurally defective,” after it was filed by COCOBOD’s in-house Legal Department.
High Court throws out Randy Abbey’s defamation suit against Abronye
The court ruled that a public institution’s legal office cannot prosecute a personal defamation claim, and that Abbey must engage private counsel to pursue the matter.
In the new writ, filed by lawyer Alex Owoo, Dr Randy Abbey is accusing Abronye of making statements on a radio broadcast that allegedly harmed his reputation.
Among the claims, Abronye reportedly said that Abbey visits cocoa farms and meets with farmers using a chair he personally drives from Accra.
Abbey further asserts that Abronye accused him of replacing the Director of Finance at COCOBOD with the intention to “steal COCOBOD money to the detriment of cocoa farmers.”
Describing the allegations as false and malicious, Abbey’s suit argues that the statements were deliberately intended to damage his personal and professional reputation.
“The Defendant made the defamatory statements with a clear and deliberate intent to harm the Plaintiff’s personal and professional reputation knowing that such statements would cause substantial damage to the Plaintiff’s standing in society particularly as the acting Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board,” portions of the writ read.
Dr Randy Abbey is seeking GH¢20 million in damages, as well as a court order requiring Abronye to issue an unconditional retraction, an unqualified apology, and the complete removal of the defamatory publication within 14 days of judgment.
Additionally, the suit seeks a perpetual injunction preventing Abronye or anyone acting on his behalf from publishing further defamatory statements against Abbey.
About the case
Dr Randy Abbey filed the suit on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, seeking GH¢20 million in damages for what he described as malicious and false claims made by Abronye during a public broadcast.
Court documents indicate that Abronye accused Dr Abbey of misusing public resources and engaging in corrupt practices at COCOBOD.
Specifically, he alleged that Dr Abbey transported a personal chair from Accra to cocoa farms using multiple state-owned Land Cruisers, rather than using chairs provided by farmers.
Abronye further accused Dr Abbey of manipulating internal appointments to facilitate the embezzlement of public funds.
These statements, which were broadcast publicly and widely circulated on social media, were said to have caused significant damage to Dr Abbey’s reputation, exposing him to public ridicule and contempt.
In the suit, which was filed through COCOBOD’s Legal Department, Dr Abbey sought a court declaration that Abronye’s comments were defamatory.
He also demanded a full retraction and an unqualified apology to be published across all platforms on which the allegations were made, as well as the removal of all defamatory content from the internet.
The lawsuit further sought general, punitive, and compensatory damages totalling GH¢20 million, a perpetual injunction restraining Abronye from making further defamatory statements, coverage of legal costs, and any other relief the court might deem appropriate.
Dr Abbey’s legal team maintained that the accusations were entirely baseless and aimed at undermining his professional reputation, built over years of service.
How a COCOBOD lawyer made a judge dismiss Randy Abbey’s case against Abronye
They emphasised the need for truthful and responsible public discourse, particularly when it concerns individuals in positions of public trust.
MAG/AE
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