Key Points
- Anas Aremeyaw Anas won $18 million in a defamation case against former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong.
- The case stems from false accusations made by Agyapong about Anas’s role in corruption and the murder of Ahmed Suale.
- Anas vows to continue fighting corruption and promoting press freedom despite facing threats.
A US court has awarded Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas $18 million in damages after finding that former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong defamed him.
The defamation case stems from comments made by Agyapong following Anas’s 2018 BBC investigation into football corruption in Ghana and other countries.
Defamation case against Kennedy Agyapong
The defamation case revolves around Agyapong’s claims about Anas on a podcast episode in 2021. Agyapong, who was interviewed in New Jersey, accused Anas of being a “criminal” and linked him to the murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale.
These comments were made after Anas’s investigation into corruption in African football, which had already led to significant media attention.
Anas had previously lost a similar case in Ghana but took legal action in the United States after Agyapong’s comments resurfaced in the podcast.
The court found that Agyapong’s statements about Anas were false and damaging to his reputation. As a result, an eight-member jury in New Jersey’s Essex County Superior Court unanimously ruled in Anas’s favor and awarded him $18 million in damages.
Impact of the verdict
The awarded damages included $8 million in punitive damages. Anas responded to the verdict, saying, “Justice has prevailed.
This victory is not just for me, but for truth, press freedom, and every journalist who risks everything to expose corruption and wrongdoing.” He emphasized that the ruling would not silence his pursuit of accountability, despite facing threats to his life.
Anas, who has won multiple international awards for his investigative reporting, vowed to continue his work against corruption and injustice.
Agyapong’s defense and other developments
Agyapong’s lawyers argued that the defamation case should not have been brought in the US. They also claimed that the comments made on the podcast were opinions and hyperbole, which should not be considered defamatory.
However, the court disagreed and held Agyapong accountable for the false claims.
Meanwhile, in Ghana, police arrested a suspect related to the 2019 murder of Anas’s colleague, Ahmed Hussein Suale. The suspect allegedly shared pictures of Suale with a well-known Ghanaian politician before his death.
Suale’s murder was linked to Anas’s investigation into football corruption, which continues to have significant repercussions in the country.
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