Judgement of Anas’ GH¢25 million defamation suit against Ken Agyepong deferred to March 15

The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Eric Baah has deferred its judgement in the case in which Ace Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas has sued Kennedy Ohene Agyepong for defamation to March 15.

The Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) is facing a GH¢25 million suit from Anas over some comments he (MP) had allegedly made against the investigative journalist in public after airing his investigative piece #Number 12, which exposed some rots in Ghana Football.

Justice Eric Baah, a Justice of the Court of Appeal who is sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, had earlier fixed Thursday, February 16 after the parties had ended their testimonies.

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that the judgement was deferred because the parties failed to file their written addresses by December 6, 2022, deadline given by the court.

They, instead, filed them at a later date, hence the decision of the court to defer to allow the judge ample time to write his judgment.

Background

Sometime in 2018, the ace international investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas dragged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to court for defaming him.

Anas was asking the High Court to award aggravated damages to the tune of GH¢25 million arising from defamatory materials published by the MP.

He said the MP had been publishing materials in his bid to discredit him after releasing an explosive piece on the rot in Ghana football.

Displeased with the MP’s actions, Anas, through his lawyer, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, sued Mr Agyapong for the award of general damages for defamation in the defendant’s publications.

A journalist, Mr Listowell Yesu Bukarson, has been granted the lawful attorney to stand in for Anas.

Publications

The publication complained of are May 29, 2018, live programme in Twi on Adom TV, where Mr Agyapong categorically stated that Anas was a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist and evil.

According to the statement of claim, the defendant, in a similar manner, published defamatory words on May 31, 2018, via Oman FM, a private radio station owned by the defendant.

The statement of claim also stated that the defendant published more defamatory materials against the plaintiff via other platforms to the extent of releasing pictures purported to be those of the investigative journalist in his bid to blow the latter’s cover.

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