US court reduces $18m defamation award against Kennedy Agyapong to $500

A United States court has reduced a defamation award against Assin Central MP, Mr Kennedy Agyapong, from $18 million to $500, following a legal request filed by his lawyers.

The ruling was delivered after the trial judge agreed that although Mr Agyapong had defamed Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the amount awarded by the jury was excessive.

The court upheld the jury’s finding of malicious defamation but significantly reduced the financial penalty.

In a press release issued on Sunday, May 11, 2025, Mr Anas, through his investigative firm Tiger Eye P.I., acknowledged the revised judgment. 

He said the outcome confirmed that Mr Agyapong had maliciously defamed him and noted that the damages reduction did not alter the central finding of the case.

“Following the award, Kennedy Agyapong filed a motion for remittitur… Thus, inherent in his motion, Kennedy Agyapong admitted to having maliciously defamed me,” Mr Anas stated.

The case dates back to 2019, when Mr Anas sued Mr Agyapong in the United States over a series of statements the MP made, particularly after the release of the Number 12 documentary.

The investigative film, produced by Tiger Eye P.I., uncovered corruption in Ghana football and led to the resignation of former Ghana Football Association President, Kwesi Nyantakyi.

In response, Mr Agyapong launched a public campaign attacking Mr Anas’s credibility, accusing him of corruption and fraud.

In April 2025, a US jury ruled in Mr Anas’s favour and awarded $18 million in damages.

Mr Agyapong’s legal team later filed a motion for remittitur, arguing that the award was excessive. The trial judge agreed and reduced the amount to $500.

Mr Anas said the case was not about money but about setting the record straight. “This fight has not been about the money, but rather, fight for truth and justice,” he noted in the statement.

He also stressed that none of the claims made against him by Mr Agyapong were proven in court, adding that the MP had every opportunity to provide evidence but failed to do so.

Mr Anas added that he would continue his work as an investigative journalist, stating that he remained committed to exposing wrongdoing through his reporting.