Ndiho Media,LLC.

By Ndiho Media

In a stunning legal twist, a U.S. court has reduced a $ 18 million defamation award to Ghanaian journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to just $500. The original verdict, handed down in March, found former Ghanaian MP Kennedy Agyapong guilty of defamation for calling Anas a “criminal” and linking him to the murder of journalist Ahmed Suale during a podcast recorded in New Jersey.
While a New Jersey jury sided with Anas, calling the MP’s remarks defamatory, a judge later ruled that the multi-million-dollar award was excessive and “legally unsustainable.” Anas has vowed to appeal, saying the fight was never about money but clearing his name and defending press freedom.
The case marks a rare international legal win for a journalist from Africa, even as the monetary judgment was gutted. Anas, famous for his masked identity and undercover investigations, says this is a message to African journalists: “Be resilient, even when the system fights back.”
Agyapong, for his part, welcomed the reduced payout and claims he stands for truth and integrity in public life.