What the judge said in the Anas vs Kennedy Agyapong case

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the Accra High Court dismissed the defamation suit by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Assin Central. Several reactions have followed especially to a part of Justice Eric Baah’s statement that labeled Anas as a “blackmailer”.

Justice Eric Baah described Anas by saying, “I hold that the plaintiff is a blackmailer who uses blackmail to extort money from his opponents and people he does not like,” adding, “What the plaintiff is doing is not investigative journalism but investigative terrorism”.

He added that “The statement of the defendant was substantially factual, and therefore justified. It could not have succeeded in actually defaming the plaintiff. Some of the long list of words made by defendant and tendered as exhibit C were capable of defamatory meanings, but none was proven to have actually defamed the plaintiff”.

According to Justice Baah in his concluding statement, “…whereas all the statements founded on exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4 were truthful and factual, thereby sustaining defendant’s defence of justification and fair comment, the statements in plaintiff’s exhibit C; though capable of defamatory meanings, were not proven to have actually defamed the plaintiff. I found the claims of plaintiff merit-less. It is hereby dismissed”.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI have reacted to the court’s decision by releasing a statement that labeled the decision as a “travesty of justice” while pledging to continue to pursue the “fight against corruption in the Ghanaian society in service to God and country”.

Read the full ruling of the court below.