Court awards GH¢10,000 in costs against NPP regional chairman as legal battle continues at Kumasi High Court.
The Court of Appeal in Kumasi has dismissed another application by Bono Regional New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, seeking to halt a defamation suit filed against him and Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited by lawyer and journalist Samson Lardy Anyenini.
A three-member panel presided over by Justice Eric Baah dismissed the application on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and awarded costs of GH¢10,000 against Abronye.
The application sought a stay of proceedings in the substantive case pending the determination of an interlocutory appeal.
The latest decision represents another setback for Abronye in his efforts to prevent the defamation action from proceeding at the Kumasi High Court.
Background to the defamation suit
Filed in April 2025, the suit concerns statements allegedly broadcast on Wontumi TV and Radio in which Anyenini was described as a thief, dishonest and corrupt.
The broadcasts also allegedly claimed that the journalist received US$50,000 to use his Newsfile programme to disgrace Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, a Member of Parliament.
Anyenini denies the allegations and is seeking substantial damages and other reliefs against Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited, programme host Kwaku Kyeremanteng Nkansah and Abronye.
According to the account of the proceedings, Abronye has yet to file a Statement of Defence responding to the allegations, approximately 18 months after the suit was commenced.
The allegations remain contested and have not been determined by the court.
Series of unsuccessful applications
Abronye’s attempts to halt the case began with a challenge to the competence of the action.
On November 28, 2025, the Kumasi High Court declined to strike out the suit. Although the court ordered a reassessment of the filing fees, it rejected Abronye’s other procedural objections.
The disagreement over filing fees subsequently resulted in a petition to the Chief Justice and a Judicial Service circular dated February 4, 2026, clarifying the assessment of fees in defamation cases.
Abronye later returned to the High Court seeking to strike out the action over alleged non-compliance with the earlier order.
On April 17, 2026, the court dismissed that application and directed the defendants to file their requisite processes within 14 days.
He subsequently appealed and sought a stay of proceedings, but the High Court dismissed that application on May 26, 2026.
His latest attempt before the Court of Appeal has now also been rejected, with the court awarding GH¢10,000 in costs against him.
Settlement efforts and legal representation
Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited has reportedly approached Anyenini to explore an amicable settlement on behalf of the company and its programme host, Kwaku Kyeremanteng Nkansah.
Abronye, the third defendant, is represented by lawyer David Boakye Mensah, while Anyenini is represented by Etornam Caleb Afutu. Kwadwo Bediako-Baryeh held brief for Anyenini’s counsel at Wednesday’s hearing.
What the latest ruling means
The Court of Appeal’s decision does not determine whether the statements at the centre of the lawsuit were defamatory. It also does not dispose of Abronye’s pending interlocutory appeal.
However, the dismissal removes the latest procedural obstacle to the substantive case proceeding at the Kumasi High Court.
The underlying dispute over the alleged defamatory broadcasts therefore remains unresolved, with the court yet to determine the merits of Anyenini’s claims against the defendants.
