Accra: Daniel Martey Addo, the lead counsel for Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC, chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Region, expressed satisfaction after his client's legal victory. Abronye faced a GHS20 million defamation lawsuit filed by Dr Randy Abbey, CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
According to Ghana Web, the court dismissed the suit on January 22, 2026. Martey Addo, managing counsel at Nkrumah and Associates, emphasized that the court's decision reaffirmed the proper interpretation of the law. He argued that Dr Abbey's reliance on COCOBOD's legal resources represented a conflict of interest, a critical point acknowledged by the court.
Martey Addo stated, "As we raised earlier, that the court should dismiss the writ and the statement of claim on the grounds that there is a conflict of interest situation, and the plaintiff is using the COCOBOD Legal Department and also using the Legal Director, who is the solicitor-secretary for COCOBOD." He further noted that the judge identified procedural defects in Dr Abbey's statement of claim.
The legal battle began when Dr Abbey accused Abronye of making malicious statements during a public broadcast on August 26, 2025. Abronye alleged that Dr Abbey misused public resources and engaged in corrupt activities at COCOBOD, including transporting a personal chair using state-owned vehicles and manipulating internal appointments for personal gain. These allegations were widely circulated, damaging Dr Abbey's reputation.
Dr Abbey's suit, filed through COCOBOD's Legal Department, sought a declaration of defamation, a full retraction, an apology, and the removal of defamatory content. He also demanded damages totaling GHS20 million, legal cost coverage, and an injunction against future defamatory remarks.
Presiding over the case, Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit highlighted the procedural issue, noting that Dr Abbey should have hired a private legal practitioner for his personal defamation claim. As a result, the suit was dismissed without any order on costs.