In a recent ruling on March 15, Justice Eric Baah, a Court of Appeal judge sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, described investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas as “a blackmailer who uses blackmail to extort money from his opponents and people he does not like.”
This statement was made in the context of dismissing a defamation suit filed by Anas against Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, citing a lack of merit in the case.
At that time, the High Court dismissed a GHC25 million defamation lawsuit brought by Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Kennedy Agyapong and imposed a cost of GHC50,000 on the journalist.
Anas had alleged that the lawmaker defamed him, leading to legal proceedings initiated in 2018. In a majority decision on Wednesday, February 28, the Supreme Court dismissed the case.
Despite the request from Kennedy Agyapong’s lawyer for costs to be awarded against Anas, the Supreme Court declined to do so.
Speaking about Anas’ work as an investigative journalist, the judge added that “What the plaintiff is doing is not investigative journalism but investigative terrorism”.
“From the above, I hold that the plaintiff is a blackmailer who uses blackmail to extort money from his opponents and people he does not like.
“What the plaintiff is doing is not investigative journalism but investigative terrorism,” the presiding judge, who awarded cost of GH¢50,000 against Anas said.