Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong
Evans Adika, one of the lawyers representing investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has disclosed that the legal team of Kennedy Agyapong, the former Member of Parliament for Assin Central, approached them to discuss the possibility of settling the defamation case by paying $10,000.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM, and monitored by GhanaWeb on March 20, 2025, he indicated that an initial $18 million offer was made during mediation, even before the trial started.
“We made that offer before the trial. That was the settlement memorandum, what is the incentive for us to take less than that. At that time, there were no risks that could endanger him. So, this calculation doesn’t make sense. That was the settlement memorandum before the jury was empaneled, and they offered to pay us $10,000,” he explained.
He reiterated that the decision to proceed with the trial was influenced by the inadequate settlement offer and the need to protect Anas’ professional image.
“Our client is offended by what has happened. Throughout his career, he has put himself in immense danger, to the extent that when he is invited to speak at an event, he is paid from $100,000 to $200,000. That level of recognition and compensation has now dwindled, putting his career at risk,” he noted.
A US court ruled in favour of Anas Aremeyaw Anas, awarding him $18 million in damages after finding that former Kennedy Agyapong defamed him.
The dispute traces back to Agyapong’s remarks following Anas’s 2018 BBC investigation into football corruption in Ghana.
In 2021, Kennedy Agyapong accused Anas of being a “criminal” and falsely linked him to the murder of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, who was killed in 2019.
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, an eight-member jury in Essex County Superior Court upheld an earlier verdict, holding Agyapong liable for defamation.
JKB/AE
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