A United States court has ruled in favour of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, awarding him $18 million in damages in a defamation lawsuit against former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong.
The ruling, delivered by the Essex County Superior Court in the United States, follows a lawsuit Anas filed over comments made by Agyapong during a September 7, 2021, interview on The Daddy Fred Show.
The online program, hosted by US-based Ghanaian Frederick Asamoah and broadcast in the Twi language, featured remarks in which Agyapong labeled Anas a “criminal” and a “thief.”
The former MP also alleged that Anas was responsible for the murder of fellow investigative journalist Ahmed Suale and the deaths of multiple Chinese nationals in Ghana.
Anas, widely known for his undercover journalism exposing corruption, argued in court that these statements severely damaged his reputation and put his life in danger.
His lawsuit in the US came after Ghana’s Supreme Court had dismissed an earlier defamation case he filed against Agyapong.
In his defence, Kennedy Agyapong claimed that his statements were made during a political dispute and were not meant to be taken literally. However, the US court sided with Anas, ruling that the statements were defamatory and awarding him $18 million in damages.
