US court slashes $18 million defamation award to Anas to $500

In a stunning turn of events, a US court has drastically reduced the damages awarded to the Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his defamation case against thr former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong – from US$18 million to just $500.

The original jury verdict found Agyapong guilty of maliciously defaming Anas and awarded the journalist $18 million in damages.

The decision came after Agyapong publicly accused Anas of unethical journalistic practices and labelled him “corrupt”, sparking a years-long legal battle in the United States.

However, in a new ruling delivered on 12 May 2025, the trial judge granted Agyapong’s motion for remittitur, a legal request to reduce the damages awarded by the jury.

The judge maintained that while Kennedy Agyapong had indeed defamed Anas, the $18 million sum was “excessive” and out of proportion to the claims substantiated in court.

The ruling effectively acknowledged that Agyapong’s allegations were baseless and that he maliciously tarnished the journalist’s reputation.