Randy Abbey refiles GH¢20m defamation action against Abronye after earlier case was struck out
By DL News
Published
1 min read
The Accra High Court threw out the previous suit after the judge ruled that the writ had been improperly issued through COCOBOD’s Legal Department, even though Mr Abbey was suing in his personal capacity.
COCOBOD’s chief executive Randy Abbey has filed a fresh GH¢20 million defamation lawsuit against the Bono Regional NPP chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, after an earlier version of the case was dismissed on procedural grounds.
The Accra High Court threw out the previous suit after the judge ruled that the writ had been improperly issued through COCOBOD’s Legal Department, even though Mr Abbey was suing in his personal capacity. The court’s position was that a personal defamation claim should be filed through a private legal practitioner, not an institutional legal unit.
This time, Mr Abbey has refiled the action using a private lawyer, Alex Owoo, according to the new writ.
In his new filing, Mr Abbey accuses Abronye of damaging his reputation through remarks made on radio.
He says Abronye alleged that he goes to cocoa farms and meets farmers with his own chair transported from Accra.
Mr Abbey also says Abronye accused him, on the same platform, of replacing COCOBOD’s Director of Finance with the aim of stealing COCOBOD funds, to the disadvantage of cocoa farmers.
The COCOBOD CEO denies the allegations, describing them as a deliberate attempt to lower his standing in public and professional life.
Beyond the GH¢20 million damages claim, Mr Abbey is asking the court to order:
an unconditional retraction and an unqualified apology
the full removal of the alleged defamatory publication
publication of the retraction and apology within 14 days of judgment
a perpetual injunction restraining Abronye — and anyone acting for him — from making further defamatory statements about him
