Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has been awarded $18 million in damages following a defamation lawsuit against former Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong and social media commentator Frederick Asamoah. The ruling, delivered by the Superior Court of New Jersey, marks the conclusion of a lengthy legal battle stemming from defamatory statements made during a 2021 online interview.
The case arose from an interview aired on The Daddy Fred Show, a program widely followed by Ghanaian audiences in the United States. During the broadcast, Agyapong and Asamoah made a series of serious allegations against Anas, which Anas claimed were false and defamatory. The statements, made during the May 2021 interview, included accusations that Anas was involved in criminal activities, including orchestrating the 2019 murder of Ahmed Suale, a fellow journalist who had worked with Anas on the investigative documentary Number 12.
The defamatory remarks were streamed across multiple platforms, including Facebook, where the interview attracted over 29,000 viewers. Among the allegations, Agyapong and Asamoah claimed that Anas had been convicted of crimes in Ghana, was responsible for the death of Suale, had caused the deaths of multiple Chinese nationals in Ghana, and was involved in blackmail, theft, and extortion.
In response to these statements, Anas filed a lawsuit on May 17, 2022, in the Essex County Superior Court, seeking damages for the harm caused to his reputation. He argued that the accusations made by Agyapong and Asamoah were baseless, damaging, and could result in long-term consequences for his journalistic career.
Anas is well-known for his investigative journalism, which has exposed corruption, human rights abuses, and criminal activities within Ghana and beyond. He has often faced threats and backlash due to the sensitive nature of his work. In the lawsuit, he emphasized how these defamation claims threatened his professional integrity and personal safety.
However, in a surprising twist, the court issued a controversial statement criticizing Anas’s methods, describing some of his investigative work as resembling “investigative terrorism.” The court further suggested that some of the allegations made by Agyapong—particularly those accusing Anas of being a “blackmailer, corrupt, extortionist, and evil”—were not entirely unjustified.
Despite this, the court ultimately sided with Anas, awarding him $18 million in damages for the defamation. The ruling is seen as a significant legal victory for Anas, but the outcome may not be the final word on the matter. Agyapong’s legal team has already filed a remittitur request, seeking to have the damages amount reduced, citing concerns over the scale of the financial penalty.
This case highlights the ongoing tensions in Ghanaian media, where high-profile journalists, politicians, and public figures often find themselves in contentious legal battles over accusations and defamation. It also underscores the challenges that investigative journalists like Anas face in a climate where powerful figures frequently attempt to discredit their work.
As of now, Anas has not publicly commented on the court’s controversial remarks, but his legal victory in the defamation suit is seen as a critical step in defending journalistic integrity and holding individuals accountable for spreading harmful misinformation.
