The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Dr Hugh Clement A. Brown, has filed a defamation lawsuit at the High Court in Accra against Impact Media Limited, operators of NEW 88.3 FM and its morning show host, Nana Yaw Asante, popularly known as “Dakyehene.”
The suit, filed on July 25, 2025 demands GH¢20 million in damages for what Dr Brown describes as “false, malicious and defamatory publications” broadcast by the defendants.
The claims stem from allegations made on a live radio programme, during which Dakyehene accused Dr. Hugh Clement Brown of illegally granting permits to individuals to operate within protected forest reserves—permits that were allegedly backdated in an attempt to shift blame to the previous government.
Details of the Allegations
According to the statement of claim, the defendant, Nana Yaw Asante, on the morning show of NEW 88.3 FM, stated both in English and Twi that Dr. Brown had issued permits to four companies to enter forest reserves previously reclaimed from illegal miners.
The broadcast further accused Dr. Hugh Clement Brown of intentionally backdating approval letters to conceal wrongdoing and to falsely implicate the previous administration under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He also claimed that if the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission was not removed from office, he would personally stage a one-man protest against President John Dramani Mahama, who appointed him(Dr. Brown) earlier this year.
Portions of the broadcast translated into English included accusations such as:
“He [Dr. Brown] has written letters to people… he intentionally backdated them… so nobody would find out. It would be blamed on the erstwhile administration… He thought Ghanaians are fools and that we don’t read.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Hugh Clement Brown asserts in his filing that he has never issued any permits for mining in forest reserves, and the letters referenced by the defendants were internal approvals to the Forest Services Division, not mining permits.
He further clarified that under Ghanaian law, the Forestry Commission alone cannot issue permits for mining activities in forest reserves without a chain of approvals from other regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Minerals Commission.
Thus, the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022 (LI 2462), requires multiple permits before any mining activity can take place in a forest reserve.
The plaintiff contends that the defendants’ accusations were made with reckless disregard for the truth and have severely damaged his reputation locally and internationally.
Reliefs Sought
Dr. Hugh Clement Brown, through his lawyers at Law Trust Company, is seeking:
- A perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publication or broadcasting of the said defamatory contents, GH¢15 million in general damages for libel, GH¢5 million in exemplary damages.
A full retraction and six consecutive televised and radio apologies across multiple platforms including GTV, TV3, JOY TV, GHOne, JOY FM, ADOM FM and others, andfour front and back page apologies published in the Daily Graphic over four consecutive weeks, a written retraction and apology published on NEW 88.3 FM’s official website and all its social media platforms.
Plaintiff’s Background
Dr. Hugh Clement A. Brown is a seasoned forestry expert and civil servant, having served the Forestry Commission for over three decades.
He holds a PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology from the University of Helsinki, an MSc from Yale University, and an MBA from KNUST, among other qualifications.
He is also a member of several global and national professional forestry bodies and currently co-chairs the international Broader Market Recognition Coalition (BMRC) for tropical timber.
Response from the Defendants
As of press time, neither Impact Media Limited nor Nana Yaw Asante (Dakyehene) has issued a formal response to the lawsuit. According to the writ, they are required to enter an appearance within eight days of service or risk judgment being passed in their absence.
This is the second time the plaintiff has filed a law suit in a related allegation against him.
