Anas vs Kennedy Agyapong: $18 million defamation award – Everything you must know

US Jury awards Anas $18 million against Kennedy Agyapong in Defamation Suit

A jury of the Essex County Superior Court in New Jersey, United States, has returned a verdict in favour of Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his $18 million defamation lawsuit against former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.

In a unanimous decision, the eight-member jury found Mr Agyapong liable for defamation over comments he made on The Daddy Show, hosted by US-based Ghanaian presenter Frederick Asamoah.

Presided over by Honourable Judge Jeffrey B. Beacham, the case saw Mr Agyapong take the stand alongside his brother, Ralph Agyapong.

The former lawmaker reportedly introduced audiovisual evidence under the title Who Watches the Watchman and cited a Ghanaian court ruling in his defence.

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However, despite these efforts, the case was thoroughly prepared and presented by Anas’s legal team, led by Andrew Deheer, Esq. The jury ultimately delivered an 8-0 verdict on every count against Mr Agyapong, who was present in court.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that lawyers for Mr Agyapong have moved for a mistrial, with a ruling expected in the coming weeks.

VIDEO: Anas shown in court with Kennedy Agyapong. The judge confirms the jury's 18 MILLION DOLLARS damages against the Kennedy Agyapong and breaks down the amount. pic.twitter.com/qtLdQ64JNa

— Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) March 18, 2025

Background

On 7 September 2021, while appearing on The Daddy Show, Mr Agyapong accused Anas of being a criminal and a thief. He also alleged that Anas had a role in the murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale and was involved in the deaths of Chinese nationals in Ghana.

Anas, renowned for his undercover journalism exposing corruption, argued that these statements severely damaged his reputation and put his life at risk.

In the suit filed in May 2022 in the US, he sought the following reliefs from the court:

• a. An award of presumed damages in the amount of five million (5,000,000.00) United States Dollars;

• b. An award of special damages in the amount of ten million (10,000,000.00) United States Dollars;

• c. An award of actual damages in the amount of five million (5,000,000.00) United States Dollars;

• d. An award of punitive damages in the amount of ten million (10,000,000.00) United States Dollars;

• e. An order restraining the First Defendant from further making the utterances complained of; and ordering the Second Defendant to permanently delete all defamatory statements it has published about the Plaintiff on the worldwide web.

Defamation Suit in Ghana

In 2018, Anas sued Kennedy Agyapong in Ghana for defamation after comments made following the airing of the BBC documentary Betraying the Game. He sought GH¢25 million in damages.

However, on 15 March 2023, an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, dismissed the case, ruling that it lacked merit. The court also ordered Anas to pay GH¢50,000 in costs.

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Following this, Anas filed an application for certiorari at the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court’s ruling. However, on 18 February 2024, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, rejected the application by majority decision, upholding the High Court’s judgment.

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