Assin Central Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong has said that his legal victory against investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas is a victory for former President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Kwasi Nyantakyi who was captured in Anas’ investigative work dubbed “Number 12” which uncovered rots in Ghana football.
The Accra High Court in Wednesday, March 15 dismissed the 25 million defamation suit against Kennedy Ohene Agyapong brought by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The judge, Justice Eric Baah held that Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to prove that Ken Agyapong defamed him by airing the documentary – “Who watches the watchman” – but rather, the documentary exposed shady deals that Anas and his associates were involved in.
This was after Anas, in 2018, sued the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for allegedly defaming him.
Anas prayed to the court to award GHC25 million against Mr Agyapong to compensate him for the defamatory material published against him by the MP.
The court concluded that what Anas is engaged in is not investigative journalism but rather investigative terrorism and that Agyapong was justified to call Anas “a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil”.
“I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas) meritless and they are hereby dismissed” Justice Baah ruled.
Speaking to journalists after the court hearing, Mr Kennedy Agyapong said “we have to be bold to speak the truth, Anas goes ahead to [allegedly] defame people and gets away. It is only in this country that a journalist covers his face to go and give witness while Supreme Court judges are sitting there.
“Anas has to come out and apologise. All I am saying is the victory is for Kwasi Nyantakyi.”
