US Court cuts $18 million defamation payout to Ghanaian journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas

A US court has significantly reduced the defamation payout awarded to Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, slashing it from $18 million to $500.

The original damages were ordered by a jury in March after finding that former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong had defamed Anas by branding him a "criminal" and linking him to the 2019 murder of fellow journalist Ahmed Suale. The defamatory remarks were made during a podcast recorded in the US.

However, a New Jersey judge ruled the amount was excessive and "legally unsustainable," following an appeal from Agyapong's legal team.

Despite the reduction, Anas said he would appeal the new decision. His media group, Tiger Eye P.I., had previously stated that the lawsuit was about defending reputation rather than financial gain.

Anas initially pursued legal action in Ghana, where he lost the case. The judge there controversially referred to his style of journalism as “investigative terrorism.” The US case proceeded separately, as Agyapong was in the US at the time of the offending statements and owns property in the country.

Anas, who is known for wearing face masks to conceal his identity, has built a reputation for undercover investigations into corruption. Speaking after the jury ruling in March, he described the verdict as a "vindication" and a message of encouragement to journalists across Africa.

Agyapong, for his part, has now pledged to uphold "truth and accountability in public life."