Court dismisses Anas’ GH¢25m defamation suit against Ken Agyapong

An Accra High Court has dismissed a suit by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region.

Anas brought a GH¢25 million defamatory suit against the vociferous legislator but the court in a ruling on Wednesday, March 15, said the suit lacks merit.

Anas, in 2018, dragged the lawmaker to court for allegedly defaming him.

In his application, Anas prayed to the court to award aggravated damages of GH¢25 million to compensate him for the alleged defamatory material published against him by the MP.

In a lengthy ruling, Justice Eric Baah held that the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas] failed to prove that Kennedy Agyapong defamed the investigative journalist by airing the documentary – “Who watches the watchman”.

The court further held that Agyapong provided sufficient evidence to prove that the plaintiff used the findings of his work to solicit money from persons implicated in the evidence gathered by him.

The evidence, according to the court, also proved that those who were able to pay the sums of money demanded by Anas and his associates got exempted from videos that were shown to the public.

The court concluded that what Anas engaged in was not investigative journalism but rather investigative terrorism.

“I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas] meritless, and they are hereby dismissed,” Justice Baah ruled.