Defamation lawsuit against Ken Agyapong, US court awards Anas $18 million

In the United States, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has won a substantial defamation lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong, the former Ghanaian Member of Parliament for Assin Central, for $18 million.

A jury in Essex County, New Jersey, delivered the verdict.

Kennedy Agyapong and media star Frederick Asamoah were accused of uttering defamatory remarks against Anas on an episode of The Daddy Fred Show, an internet program that is well-liked by Ghanaian viewers in the United States. The case was filed in the Essex County Superior Court on May 17, 2022.

Agyapong allegedly made a number of false and destructive accusations throughout the show, including calling Anas a thief, a criminal, and the person who killed investigative journalist Ahmed Suale.

After Number 12, a documentary that revealed corruption in Ghanaian football, was released in 2019, Suale, a crucial member of Anas’ investigative team, was slain.

The court filings emphasized a number of particular accusations made by Agyapong, such as:

• Falsely claiming that Anas had been convicted of crimes in Ghana.
• Accusing Anas of orchestrating Ahmed Suale’s murder.
• Asserting that Anas was responsible for the deaths of multiple Chinese nationals in Ghana.
• Labeling Anas as a thief.

Anas had already filed a defamation lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong in Ghana in 2018, but this U.S. judicial victory follows a defeat in that country.

Anas had claimed GH¢25 million in damages, pointing to Agyapong’s published defamatory content. On March 15, 2023, however, the Accra High Court decided against Anas, finding that his techniques of investigation were more akin to “investigative terrorism” than to respectable journalism.

The Ghanaian case’s judge, Justice Eric Baah, supported Agyapong’s allegations that Anas was a blackmailer and extortionist. Later, in 2024, the Ghanaian Supreme Court upheld this decision in a 3-2 ruling.

Unfazed by Ghana’s negative decisions, Anas pursued international justice. The journalist’s long-running fight for justice and reputation came to a resounding conclusion when the Essex County jury decided in his favor and awarded him $18 million in damages.

Source: Ghanatodayonline.com