Forestry Commission CEO Sues New 88.3 FM and Presenter for GH¢20 Million in Defamation Case

Dr. Hugh C.A. Brown, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, has initiated a defamation lawsuit against Impact Media Limited, operators of New 88.3 FM, and its presenter Nana Yaw Asante, known as Dakyehene, seeking GH¢20 million in damages, a public apology, and an injunction to prevent further publication of what he calls malicious falsehoods. The lawsuit was filed at the Accra High Court on July 25, 2025, following a July 16, 2025, morning show broadcast on the station.

During the program, Dakyehene allegedly accused Dr. Brown of issuing permits to four companies for illegal mining in forest reserves, backdating letters to cover up the act, and attempting to deflect blame onto the previous administration. Dr. Brown, with over 30 years of public service as a forester, refuted these claims as baseless, stating they were designed to depict him as “a dishonest person with the mind of a thief” undermining efforts against illegal mining, known as galamsey.

The broadcast claimed Dr. Brown backdated permits for mining in reclaimed forest reserves, with Dakyehene asserting he had supporting documents and threatening a personal protest against President John Dramani Mahama if Dr. Brown remained in office. Dr. Brown denied issuing mining permits, clarifying that the letters were internal approvals for the Forest Services Division’s Executive Director, not entry permits. He noted that a typographical error citing 2024 in the documents was corrected in a Forestry Commission rejoinder on July 14, 2025, which the defendants received but did not share.

Dr. Brown accused the defendants of acting with malice and reckless disregard for the truth to boost viewership and their media profile, asserting that a simple verification with the Commission would have clarified the documents’ legitimacy. He seeks GH¢15 million in general damages for libel, GH¢5 million in exemplary damages, and a perpetual injunction against further defamatory broadcasts. Additionally, he demands retractions and apologies on platforms including GTV, Joy News, GHOne TV, Peace FM, Adom FM, New 88.3 FM’s website, and social media, as well as in the Daily Graphic newspaper’s front and back pages for four consecutive weeks.

Source: African Publicity