In a landmark ruling, an eight-member jury in the Essex County Superior Court in New Jersey has unanimously found Kennedy Agyapong, a former Member of Parliament from Ghana’s New Patriotic Party (NPP), guilty of defaming Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas. The court ordered Agyapong to pay $18 million in damages following a trial highlighting his malicious and reckless attacks on Anas after the 2018 BBC documentary “Betraying the Game” exposed corruption in Ghanaian football.
Anas, addressing the press after the verdict, hailed the decision as a “resounding affirmation” against falsehood and character assassination. “This victory is not just a legal triumph—it’s a testament to the power of truth and accountability,” he said. The journalist emphasized the significance of the ruling in the U.S., where defamation cases require a high threshold of proof, including evidence of malice, which the jury unanimously agreed Agyapong demonstrated.
The case stems from statements Agyapong made in 2018, following Anas’s documentary, which prompted a defamation lawsuit in both Ghana and the U.S. While justice eluded Anas in Ghana—where a 2018 ruling by Justice Eric Baah of the Accra High Court dismissed his claims and was later criticized by Supreme Court Justice Kulendi as a “violent abuse of judicial authority”—the New Jersey court delivered a different outcome. Under the oversight of Judge Jeffrey B. Beacham, Agyapong’s defense, including his use of a video titled “Who Watches the Watchman” and references to the Ghanaian judgment, failed to sway the jury.
Anas’s legal team, led by Andrew Deheer, Esq., secured an 8-0 verdict on all counts, with punitive damages still pending determination. In his statement, Anas praised the fairness of the U.S. proceedings and warned Ghanaian politicians sternly: “You cannot take the media for granted. The press will continue to hold power to account.”
The $18 million award underscores a significant victory for Anas, whose work has long focused on exposing corruption in Ghana. He vowed to persist in his fight against graft, calling the ruling a “rallying call for all who believe in a just and transparent society.”
