A legal battle between Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, and Bono Regional Minister Joseph Addae Akwaboa appears set to enter a new phase after the opposition lawmaker announced that court processes have finally been served on the Minister.

In a social media post on Thursday, Annoh-Dompreh disclosed that the Regional Minister had now been successfully served with the writ, paving the way for the case to proceed before the courts.

“Finally; that Regional Minister has been served, we will have a date in court soon,” the Minority Chief Whip wrote.

The latest development comes weeks after Annoh-Dompreh initiated a high-profile defamation suit against the Bono Regional Minister and a media organization over allegations linking him to cocoa smuggling and economic sabotage.

According to the Nsawam-Adoagyiri legislator, the process of serving the Minister had been challenging, alleging that the Minister had been difficult to locate for the purposes of the court action.

Annoh-Dompreh further claimed that attempts were made to persuade him to abandon the case, although those claims have not been publicly responded to by the Regional Minister.

The legal dispute stems from remarks allegedly made by Addae Akwaboa during a public engagement on April 28, 2026, which were subsequently published by a media outlet.

The statements reportedly suggested that Annoh-Dompreh encouraged cocoa buyers to use government resources to purchase cocoa from neighboring Côte d’Ivoire and smuggle it into Ghana, actions that were said to undermine government efforts in the cocoa sector.

The publication further alleged that security agencies had acted on intelligence connected to the purported operation, leading to the interception of more than 100 bags of cocoa.

However, Annoh-Dompreh has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as false, malicious, reckless, and highly damaging to his reputation.

In his statement of claim, he argues that the publication portrayed him as a participant in illegal cross-border cocoa smuggling, an abuse of public office, and conduct amounting to economic sabotage.

The Minority Chief Whip maintains that he has never engaged in, supported, or encouraged any illegal activity involving cocoa smuggling and insists that the allegations were published without any lawful basis or factual foundation.

According to court documents, the plaintiff believes the publication has caused significant reputational damage, exposing him to public ridicule, suspicion, and contempt while negatively affecting his standing as a legislator and public servant.

Annoh-Dompreh further argues that the allegations have harmed his political career, weakened public confidence among his constituents, and potentially subjected him to unnecessary scrutiny from state institutions and security agencies.

Before commencing legal proceedings, the lawmaker said he formally demanded a retraction and an unqualified apology from the defendants with the same prominence as the original publication.

He claims the request was ignored, prompting him to seek judicial intervention.

The suit seeks a declaration that the statements were defamatory, general damages of GH¢20 million, and aggravated and exemplary damages totaling GH¢10 million against the defendants.

He is also asking the court to compel the publication of a full retraction and apology across all platforms where the allegations appeared, as well as a perpetual injunction restraining any future publication of similar claims.

The case places a politically sensitive dispute before the courts at a time when issues surrounding Ghana’s cocoa sector, political accountability, and media responsibility continue to attract national attention.

Annoh-Dompreh, who has represented the Nsawam-Adoagyiri Constituency in Parliament since 2013, currently serves as Minority Chief Whip and is also known for his role within the Pan-African Parliament, where he chairs the Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs for the West African Caucus.