Former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has broken his silence following a defamation lawsuit filed against him by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in a United States court.
The Superior Court of New Jersey initially awarded Anas $18 million in damages, but this amount has now been drastically reduced to $500 after a judge granted a motion for remittitur filed by Agyapong’s legal team.
The defamation suit arose from statements made by Agyapong during a 2021 social media interview, where he accused Anas of criminality and other defamatory claims linked to Anas’s investigations into corruption in Ghanaian football.
The jury found Agyapong guilty of malicious defamation, but the trial judge deemed the $18 million award excessive and lowered it to $500 while upholding the defamation verdict.
In a viral social media video, Agyapong was seen celebrating the reduction, joking, “Maybe we have to give Anas 5,000”.
Despite the reduced financial penalty, Anas’s investigative outfit, Tiger Eye PI, emphasized that the victory lies in the court’s recognition of defamation, not the monetary award.
Anas stated the case was about justice and truth, not money, and vowed to continue his fight against corruption.
Anas originally pursued the case in Ghana but faced setbacks before transferring it to the U.S., where Agyapong holds assets.
Source: www.kumasimail.com /Kwadwo Owusu
