US Court awards Anas $18M in defamation case against Kennedy Agyepong, another

An investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has secured an $18 million victory in a defamation lawsuit against former Ghanaian lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong and social media commentator Frederick Asamoah.

The Superior Court of New Jersey delivered the judgment after a protracted legal battle over statements made by the defendants in a 2021 online interview.

Filed in Essex County Superior Court on May 17, 2022, the case stemmed from remarks aired during The Daddy Fred Show, a widely followed online program catering to Ghanaian audiences in the United States. The live-streamed broadcast, which amassed over 29,000 views, contained a series of allegations against Anas, including claims that he was a criminal, a thief, and responsible for the 2019 murder of his investigative colleague, Ahmed Suale.

Anas, renowned for his undercover exposés on corruption and human rights violations, argued that these statements were a deliberate attempt to tarnish his credibility and undermine his work. The court found that the accusations were baseless and awarded him $18 million in damages.

Kennedy Agyapong’s legal team has since filed for remittitur, seeking a reduction in the awarded damages. This ruling in the United States contrasts sharply with a recent decision by an Accra High Court in Ghana, which dismissed a GH¢25 million defamation suit Anas had brought against Agyapong.

In that case, Justice Eric Baah ruled in favor of Agyapong, arguing that his claims were justified and that Anas’ work amounted to "investigative terrorism" rather than genuine journalism. The Ghanaian court held that the documentary Who Watches the Watchman?, aired by Agyapong, exposed unethical activities allegedly involving Anas and his team.

Below is Anas' complaint for damages filed at the court in May 2022.