Abronye loses again as Court of Appeal dismisses bid to halt Samson Anyenini’s defamation suit, awards GH¢10,000 costs

The Court of Appeal in Kumasi has dismissed an application by Bono Regional NPP Chairman Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye, seeking to halt the defamation suit filed against him and Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited by lawyer and journalist Samson Lardy Anyenini.

In its ruling on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the three-member panel, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, rejected Abronye’s renewed application for a stay of proceedings pending an interlocutory appeal and awarded GH¢10,000 in costs against him.

The decision represents another setback for Abronye, who has made repeated attempts to prevent the substantive defamation action from proceeding.

The suit, filed in April 2025, stems from statements allegedly broadcast on Wontumi TV and Radio accusing Anyenini of being a thief, dishonest and corrupt. The broadcasts also allegedly claimed that he received US$50,000 to use his Newsfile programme to disgrace Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, a Member of Parliament.

Anyenini has denied the allegations and is seeking substantial damages and other reliefs against Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited, its programme host, Kwaku Kyeremanteng Nkansah, and Abronye.

Despite the case having been pending for approximately 18 months, Abronye has yet to file a Statement of Defence responding to the allegations.

His legal setbacks began with a challenge to the competence of the suit. On November 28, 2025, the Kumasi High Court refused to strike out the action. Although the court ordered a reassessment of the filing fees, it dismissed Abronye’s other procedural objections.

The dispute over filing fees later led to a petition to the Chief Justice and a Judicial Service circular issued on February 4, 2026, clarifying how fees in defamation cases should be assessed, contrary to Abronye’s claims.

Abronye subsequently returned to the High Court, seeking to have the suit struck out over alleged non-compliance with the earlier order. However, on April 17, 2026, the court dismissed the application and directed the defendants to file their requisite processes within 14 days.

He then appealed and applied for a stay of proceedings, but the High Court rejected that application on May 26, 2026. His latest attempt before the Court of Appeal has now also failed, attracting a further GH¢10,000 in costs.

Meanwhile, Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited has approached Anyenini to explore an amicable settlement on behalf of the company and its programme host, Kwaku Kyeremanteng Nkansah, who are the first and second defendants, respectively.

Abronye, the third defendant, is represented by David Boakye Mensah. Anyenini is represented by Etornam Caleb Afutu, with Kwadwo Bediako-Baryeh holding his brief at Wednesday’s Court of Appeal hearing.

The latest ruling does not determine the merits of the defamation case or dispose of Abronye’s pending interlocutory appeal. It nevertheless removes the immediate obstacle posed by his application and allows the substantive action to proceed before the Kumasi High Court.