US Court Orders Ken Agyapong To Pay Anas $18M In Defamation Case
Anas Aremeyaw Anas has won a substantial defamation lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong, the former Ghanaian Member of Parliament for Assin Central, for $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.
Suale, a key member of Anas’ investigative team, was assassinated in 2019 following the release of Number 12, a documentary that exposed corruption in Ghanaian football.
The court documents highlighted several specific allegations made by Agyapong, including:
- 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.
Undeterred by the unfavorable rulings in Ghana, Anas sought justice at the international level. His persistence paid off when the Essex County jury ruled in his favor, awarding him $18 million in damages, marking a decisive victory for the journalist in his long-running battle for reputation and justice.
