Anas Aremeyaw Anas Wins Defamation Suit Against Kennedy Agyapong in US
Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has secured a favourable ruling in his defamation suit against former Ghanaian lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong.
The Essex County Superior Court which delivered the ruling also awarded US$ 18 million in damages against Kennedy Agyapong.
The investigative journalist went to court after Kennedy in a broadcast accused him of being a criminal and thief. He also accused him of murdering Ahmed Suale and several Chinese nationals in Ghana.
These statements were on the back of the airing of the BBC documentary on corruption, “Betraying the Game,” on October 28, 2018.
Anas first went to the Accra High Court but failed to secure a favourable ruling a year ago. His GH¢25 million defamation suit was dismissed by Justice Eric Baah, who went on to label the former a “blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil”.
He then proceeded to the Essex County Superior Court, where he sought $5 million in presumed damages, $10 million in special damages, $5 million in actual damages, $10 million in punitive damages, and a restraining order against the defendant.
An eight-member jury on March 17 unanimously found Kennedy liable for defamation, awarding damages of 18 million U.S. dollars.
Reckless Attack
Reacting to the ruling in a statement, Anas said the victory meant more to him as it reflects the recklessness and maliciousness of the politician’s attacks against him.
“This decision is not merely a legal triumph—it is a resounding affirmation that falsehood and character assassination have no place in our society. It reinforces our commitment to building a robust democracy that serves all ordinary Ghanaians. “
Flaws
Referencing the ruling delivered by the Accra High Court as regrettable, he said it accentuated the flaws in the Ghanaian judicial system.
“Regrettably, the situation in Ghana was starkly different. In 2018, when I pursued a similar lawsuit there, justice eluded me. Despite Mr. Agyapong’s own admission of lacking evidence to support his calumnious claims, Justice Eric Baah of the Accra High Court not only denied me justice but also unjustly portrayed me—the civil plaintiff—as a criminal.”
“Such outcomes are a stark reminder of the systemic flaws within our Ghanaian judicial system—flaws that demand urgent reform.”
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
