The High Court in Accra has dismissed a defamation suit filed by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, against the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
In a ruling today (March 15), the Court presided over by Justice Eric Baah, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, dismissed the case for lacking merit.
He added that although the words spoken against Anas were factual and capable of defamation, he could not prove same.
“From the above I hold that the plaintiff is a blackmailer who uses blackmail to extort money from his opponents and people he does not like.
“What the plaintiff is doing not investigative journalism but investigative terrorism,” the presiding judge, who awarded cost of GH¢ 50,000 against Anas said.
Background
Anas, in his defamation suit filed in 2018, asked the High Court to award aggravated damages to the tune of GH¢25 million arising from defamatory materials published by the MP.
According to him, the MP had been publishing materials in his bid to discredit him. At the time, the investigative journalist had released an explosive piece on Ghana football title Number 12.
Displeased with the MP’s actions, Anas through his lawyer sued Mr Agyapong for the award of general damages for defamation in the defendant’s publications.
More to follow…
