The American jury that initially awarded investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas $18 million in damages after finding Kennedy Agyapong guilty of malicious defamation has since modified the award to $500.
This decision came after Agyapong requested a remittitur, recognizing the defamation.
The reduction of the defamation award from $18 million to $500 was granted by the Essex County Superior Court in New Jersey, United States, the same court that initially awarded Anas Aremeyaw Anas the $18 million in damages in March 2025.
In March 2025, an eight-member jury unanimously awarded Anas $18 million in damages, finding Agyapong liable for defamation.
The ruling was celebrated as an exoneration for Anas, who had previously lost a similar defamation case against Agyapong in Ghana in 2018.
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However, Agyapong’s legal team quickly applied for a remittitur, arguing for a reduction in the damages. The court’s decision to cut the award to $500, a reduction of 99.997%