Former presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has broken his silence after a Superior Court in Essex County, New Jersey, reduced a defamation award against him from $18 million to $500.
The reduction followed a legal request by his lawyers.
Kennedy Agyapong, a former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, was sued by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, an award-winning investigative journalist, for defamation. Initially, the court awarded Anas $18 million in damages against Agyapong.
However, the court later ruled that while Kennedy Agyapong had indeed defamed Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the original amount awarded by the jury was excessive. As a result, the financial penalty was significantly reduced to $500. Despite this reduction, the court upheld the jury’s finding of malicious defamation.
In response to the court’s decision, a video shared on social media captured Kennedy Agyapong and his team singing praises and thanking God, celebrating what they considered as a satisfactory verdict in the defamation case.
Following an intense session of worship and praise, the team jubilantly reacted to the ruling.
During his speech, Kennedy Agyapong revealed that the $500 penalty had already been paid by a team member.
In the video, Kennedy Agyapong is seen handing over the $500 to his wife, stating that she would be traveling to the US on “Thursday” and should take the money to settle the payment.
He humorously mocked Anas, remarking that the amount was affordable to almost all his team members. As a result, he jokingly suggested that they might consider giving Anas 5,000 instead of $500.
“The first lady is going to America on Thursday, so I will give her the $500 to go and pay…one of the team members has paid the $500.
“And almost all the team members can pay $500, so maybe we have to give Anas $ 5,000.”
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Sunday, May 11, 2025, Anas, through his investigative outfit Tiger Eye PI, welcomed the revised judgment, emphasising that it reaffirmed the central issue of the case: that Agyapong maliciously defamed him.
“Following the award, Kennedy Agyapong filed a motion for remittitur… Thus, inherent in his motion, Kennedy Agyapong admitted to having maliciously defamed me,” it stated.
Anas added that the case was not about money but about setting the records straight.
“This fight has not been about the money, but rather, a fight for truth and justice,” he added.
The case originated in 2019 after Anas sued Ken Agyapong in the US over defamatory remarks the MP made following the release of the Number 12 documentary.
The investigative piece produced by Tiger Eye PI exposed rooted corruption within Ghana’s football sector, leading to the resignation of the then Ghana Football Association President, Kwesi Nyantakyi.
Kennedy Agyapong launched a sustained public campaign to discredit Anas, accusing him of fraud and unethical journalism. The accusations formed the basis of the defamation lawsuit.
In April 2025, a US jury ruled in favour of Anas and awarded $18 million in damages.
However, Kennedy Agyapong’s legal team later filed a motion for remittitur, contending that the amount was excessive.
The trial judge agreed, leading to the reduction.
Read the full statement below:
