Maverick politician, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has yet the biggest hurdle to surmount as ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, pursues him in the United States of America in another defamation lawsuit.
The lawmaker was accused of “been exceptionally vicious and brazen in his attacks” on Anas, “calling on the general public to physically attack and assault him as well as calling for the Plaintiff to be lynched, on both live radio and television programs”
If the plaintiff succeed in his suit, Mr. Agyapong would have to cough 30 million dollars in damages.
The New Patriotic Party lawmaker was jointly sued with one Frederick Asamoah, a Ghanaian social media commentator who is a resident of the State of Maryland.
The summons, complaint, and case information sheet on Mr. Agyapong was served on his daughter, Yvonne Agyapong at Kennedy Agyapong’s residence at 7 Walter Street, West Orange, New Jersey 07052.
The legal process in the US which started in November 2022 is being heard in the Essex Country Superior Court State of New Jersey, Civil Division.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas raised five defamatory counts including Kennedy Agyapong calling him a criminal, murderer and thief.
The alleged defamatory comments were made on 7 September 2021, when the First Defendant appeared as a guest of the Daddy Fred Show as a guest of the Second Defendant.
“At the time all five defamatory statements were uttered, the First Defendant was aware of the falsity of his utterances because he had previously been cross examined and admitted to those falsity the statements referenced in paragraphs 43, 47, 53 while testifying under oath,” the plaintiff stated in his complaints.
Plaintiff also states that the words complained of are “utterly false, products of the First Defendant’s imagination and were mischievously calculated by First Defendant to disparage the Plaintiff and to create disaffection for him and to bring him into odium in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society in West Orange, Newark, and other parts of the State of New Jersey and the global community”.
The ace investigative journalist is therefore seeking an order restraining Kennedy Agyapong from further making the utterances complained of; and ordering the second defendant to permanently delete all defamatory statements it has published about the Plaintiff on the worldwide web as well as any other relief as the court may deem fit.
25 million suit in Ghaa
Mr. Agyapong, who is the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, won his first battle, albeit temporarily, against the investigative journalist in a similar defamation suit heard in a Ghanaian court.
The Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 dismissed the GH¢25 million defamation suit against Kennedy Agyapong brought by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
This was after Anas, in 2018, sued the New Patriotic Party lawmaker for allegedly defaming him.
In a twist of event, the High Court Judge, Justice Eric Baah, in delivering the controversial judgement, described the multiple award winning journalist as a criminal, corrupt, extortionist, cheat, blackmailer and self-confessed criminal.
“Although the news about the dismissal of our defamation suit against the Member of Parliament was unexpected, I disagree with the judge’s reasoning both on the law and the facts,” Anas said in a statement copied to Newstitbits.com.
“It is the evidence in my work and my commitment to truth and justice that has always led and prevailed against all the forces that have worked to pull us down,” the globally celebrated journalist asserted.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas has since served notice that he will appeal against the judgement by Justice Eric Baah.
“My team of lawyers and I, have carefully studied the judgment delivered by the court and we’re unanimous that the judge made an overreach and descended into the arena and made criminal pronouncements about me as if I was standing a criminal trial. He also justified the MP accusing me of the murder of the late JB Danquah, murder of twenty Chinese nationals and a host of other crimes.
“We are filing an appeal because there was no evidence provided.”
Meanwhile, Anas has reminded Kennedy Agyapong, who is gunning to lead the governing New Patriotic Party in the 2024 general elections as the flagbearer, of the pending case in the US.
“Last year, we also filed another defamation action against the MP in the United States, where he made similar defamatory statements against me. That case is ongoing.”