A U.S. court has awarded Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas $18 million (£14 million) in damages after a jury ruled that he was defamed by former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong.
- Anas Aremeyaw Anas was awarded $18 million in damages by U.S. court.
- Defamation case stems from remarks made by former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong following Anas’s 2018 BBC investigation on corruption in football.
- Agyapong labelled Anas a ‘criminal’ and accused him of being involved in the murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale.
A U.S. court has awarded Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas $18 million (£14 million) in damages after a jury ruled that he was defamed by former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong.
The case stems from remarks Agyapong made following Anas’s 2018 BBC investigation, which exposed corruption in Ghanaian and international football.
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During the trial, the court heard that Agyapong, in a podcast episode, had labelled Anas a “criminal” and accused him of being involved in the murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale, BBC reported.
Anas had previously lost a similar legal battle in Ghana seven years ago. However, after the podcast episode was released in 2021, he pursued legal action in the U.S. state of New Jersey, where Agyapong owns the property.
Last week’s initial verdict was upheld on Tuesday, with an eight-member jury in Essex County Superior Court, New Jersey, unanimously ruling that Agyapong was liable for defamation.
The court awarded Anas Aremeyaw Anas $18 million in damages, including $8 million in punitive damages.
The journalist, who has received multiple international awards for his investigative reporting, has vowed to continue his fight against corruption and hold wrongdoers accountable.
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“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,” Anas said in response.
“No amount of intimidation or falsehood will silence the pursuit of accountability even in the face of assassination. Our work continues, undeterred and unafraid.“
Agyapong appealed for a reduction but it was denied. Agyapong’s lawyers argued unsuccessfully that the case should not have been tried in the U.S. They also claimed that his comments on the podcast were merely hyperbole and opinion, not grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
