$500 damages not a reduction of $18m judgment – Kwasi Kwarteng clarifies

Kwasi Kwarteng, spokesperson for Kennedy Agyapong, clarified recent reports. He stated that the $500 defamation award is not a reduction of an $18 million judgment.

Kwarteng spoke on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on May 12. He explained that the $500 award came from a legal motion filed by Agyapong’s team. There was never an $18 million judgment to begin with.

“The $500 award is not a slash or reduction of any prior judgment,” he said. “There was a jury award, but it was not adopted by the court.”

He added that the motion filed by Agyapong's lawyer aimed to review the jury's decision. This means it is not a reduction of an earlier judgment.

His comments followed a decision by the Superior Court in Essex County, New Jersey. The court revised damages in a defamation case against Agyapong by journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The suit began on May 17, 2022, after Agyapong accused Anas of being involved in criminal activities and murder. Recently, a U.S. jury found Agyapong liable for defamation and awarded Anas $18 million.

However, Agyapong’s legal team argued that this amount was excessive. The trial judge upheld the ruling but reduced the damages to $500, calling the original figure unreasonably high.

Kwarteng aims to correct public misunderstanding about the case. He reiterated that no final $18 million judgment existed before the judge ruled on the motion.

Anas expressed disappointment with the reduced award but emphasized his goal was to defend his reputation rather than seek financial gain.