A United States court has ruled in favor 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, follows a lawsuit Anas filed over remarks Agyapong made during a September 7, 2021, interview on The Daddy Fred Show, where he labeled Anas a “criminal” and a “thief.”
Agyapong also alleged that Anas was responsible for the murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale and the deaths of several Chinese nationals in Ghana.
Anas, renowned for his undercover investigations exposing corruption, argued that these statements severely damaged his reputation and put his life at risk. His lawsuit in the U.S. came after Ghana’s Supreme Court had dismissed an earlier defamation case he filed against Agyapong.
In his defense, Agyapong claimed his statements were politically charged and not meant to be taken literally.
However, the U.S. court ruled that the comments were defamatory and ordered Agyapong to pay $18 million in damages.
