Court fines Ken Agyapong GH¢130k for lying about Anas, Kweku Baako

The High Court in Accra has given Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, 30 days to apologise three times on all platforms he used to defame Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako.

The Court in a ruling on Friday, June 26, has also ordered him to pay GH¢100,000 as damages and GH¢ as Mr. Baako’s legal cost.

This followed the failure by the MP to prove his allegations that Mr. Baako and his protege, Anas Aremeyaw Anas of Tiger Eye P.I, are engaged in illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ and are fraudsters.

The MP made the allegations after Anas released part one of his investigative piece on illegal mining dubbed ‘Galamsey fraud’.

Mr Kennedy Agyapong had used words Mr Baako deemed were defamatory against him in addition to that, Mr Agyapong dared Baako to pursue a lawsuit against him.

Mr. Agyapong faces five other defamation suits including that of Mr. Anas.

Background

Mr. Baako had sued the Assin Central MP at the Accra High Court, seeking damages to the sum of GH¢25 million for defamation.

According to Mr Baako, the lawmaker defamed him on a radio talk show called Boiling Point on Oman FM and Adom Badwam talk show on Adom FM on separate dates.

Mr Baako also prayed the court to direct Mr Agyapong to “publish on three consecutive occasions on the same platform that he published the defamatory words, an unqualified retraction and an apology, with the same prominence as given to the issuance of the defamatory words. Other costs including legal fees and any others as this honourable court may deem fit.”

While talking on Boiling Point on Oman FM, Mr Agyapong according to the plaintiff allegedly said the following about him.

“You [referring to the plaintiff], Anas and your lawyer, yeah, they are real evil guys [referring to the plaintiff and Anas] … Kweku Baako will collapse NPP’s government should he allow it. Have you seen what he started with Charlotte Osei…?”

The plaintiff avers the defendant further made the following disparaging statement against him on the same show: “I said he is not a saint. Kweku Baako is not a saint. He is evil … very evil man … he’s a very evil man”.