A suit filed by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central in the Central Region, was dismissed by an Accra High Court.
Anas filed a GH25 million defamation suit against the outspoken legislator, but the court ruled on Wednesday, March 15, that the suit lacks merit.
Anas sued the lawmaker in 2018 for allegedly defaming him.
Anas asked the court in his application for GH25 million in aggravated damages 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 also ruled that Agyapong presented sufficient evidence to show that the plaintiff used the findings of his work to solicit money from people involved in the evidence he gathered.
According to the evidence, those who were able to pay the sums of money demanded by Anas and his associates were exempted from the videos that were shown to the public.
The court determined that Anas engaged in investigative terrorism rather than investigative journalism.
“I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas] meritless, and they are hereby dismissed,” Justice Baah ruled.
