A Superior Court in Essex County, New Jersey, has significantly reduced a defamation judgment against former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, from $18 million to just $500.
The lawsuit, initially filed on May 17, 2022, was brought by renowned investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. It accused Kennedy Agyapong and Ghanaian media personality Frederick Asamoah of making defamatory statements during an episode of The Daddy Fred Show, an online platform popular among the Ghanaian diaspora in the United States.
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During the program, Agyapong allegedly made a series of false and damaging claims against Anas, including calling him a criminal, a thief, and alleging that he was involved in the murder of journalist Ahmed Suale.
Suale, a key member of Anas’ investigative team, was gunned down in 2019 following the release of Number 12, a documentary that exposed corruption in Ghanaian football.
A few weeks ago, a U.S. jury found Kennedy Agyapong liable for maliciously defaming Anas and awarded $18 million in damages. However, Agyapong subsequently filed a motion for remittitur, requesting that the court reduce the amount, arguing that the jury’s award was excessive.
In a decision delivered on Monday, May 12, the trial judge granted Agyapong’s request and revised the damages down to $500. The judge maintained that while Agyapong did indeed defame Anas, the financial penalty awarded by the jury was unreasonably high.
Reacting to the ruling, Anas expressed his disappointment over the reduced award but reiterated that his pursuit of the case was not motivated by financial gain.
“Consequent to the finding by the jury, an amount of $18M was awarded in my favour against Kennedy Agyapong. Following the award, Kennedy Agyapong filed a motion for remittitur, asking the judge to reduce the amount awarded against him. Thus, inherent in his motion, Kennedy Agyapong admitted to having maliciously defamed me,” Anas said.
He added, “Today, the trial judge granted Kennedy Agyapong’s motion for remittitur and reduced the initial award to $500. This means that, while the judge held that Kennedy Agyapong had defamed me, in his reasoning, the award against Kennedy Agyapong by the jury was excessive.”
Emphasizing the principle behind the lawsuit, Anas stated, “This fight has not been about the money, but rather, a fight for truth and justice. I am happy that not a single allegation was proven against me in court when Kennedy Agyapong was given full opportunity to substantiate.”
He concluded with a renewed commitment to his work: “I will continue in my relentless fight against corruption – and in doing that, continue to name, shame, and jail.”
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