Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has secured a legal victory in the United States, with an Essex County jury awarding him $18 million in a defamation lawsuit against former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong.
Legal scholar and political analyst Professor Kwaku Azar shared the news on Facebook, noting that Agyapong has already filed for a remittitur, a request for the court to reduce the damages awarded.
This ruling marks a sharp contrast to a 2023 decision in Ghana, where an Accra High Court dismissed a similar lawsuit filed by Anas.
Presided over by Justice Eric Baah, the court acknowledged that Agyapong’s statements could be defamatory but ruled that Anas failed to prove his claims.
The case stems from May 29, 2018, when Agyapong launched a scathing attack on Anas during a live interview on Adom TV, labeling him “a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil.”
The MP also released materials aimed at discrediting the journalist, following Anas’ corruption exposés.
Anas, through his lawyers, initially sought GH¢25 million in aggravated damages in Ghana, but his case was dismissed.
