The High Court in Accra has dismissed a defamation suit filed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Ransford Anertay Abbey, against the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
The suit, which was filed on August 26, 2025, was struck out on Monday, January 19, 2026, after the court upheld a preliminary legal objection challenging the procedure used to commence the action.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Baasit held that both the writ of summons and statement of claim were procedurally defective, making the entire suit incompetent before the court.
According to the judge, defamation is a personal action directed at an individual whose reputation is alleged to have been harmed, and must therefore be pursued strictly in the individual’s name and capacity.
Justice Abdul Baasit observed that although the alleged defamatory publications related to Dr. Abbey’s work as COCOBOD CEO, the institution itself was not a party to the suit. Yet, the action was initiated through COCOBOD’s Legal Department.
“The Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim was issued by the Legal Department of Plaintiff’s institution being Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) with the Legal Director of COCOBOD being Counsel for the Plaintiff,” the court stated.
The judge stressed that this was improper, noting that Dr. Abbey, having sued in his personal capacity, ought to have engaged a private lawyer.
“The Plaintiff having sued in his personal capacity ought to procure the service of a private legal practitioner to represent him,” the ruling added.
On that basis, the court concluded: “I therefore find the instant Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim as procedurally defective and same is dismissed. There shall be no orders as to cost.”
The ruling was delivered after counsel for the defendant elected not to move an application following the court’s directions, paving the way for the judge to proceed to determine the matter.
