Rule of law requires bold judges — Franklin Cudjoe on Anas’ defamation win against Kennedy Agyapong

The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has weighed in on ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ recent defamation victory against former Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, in the United States.

In a social media post on Wednesday, March 19, Mr. Cudjoe asserted that for the rule of law to serve its purpose, judges must be bold in their rulings.

“The rule of law requires that judges everywhere are bold and deliver rulings that are just, without fear or favour,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Anas has compared his legal victory in the U.S. to a similar case he lost in Ghana.

According to him, High Court Justice Eric Baah, who presided over the case in Ghana on March 15, 2023, denied him justice and went further to label him a criminal.

In a statement dated March 18, celebrating his recent victory, Anas noted that the proceedings in New Jersey demonstrated fairness and accountability.

“Regrettably, the situation in Ghana was starkly different. In 2018, when I pursued a similar lawsuit there, justice eluded me. Despite Mr. Agyapong’s own admission of lacking evidence to support his calumnious claims, Justice Eric Baah of the Accra High Court not only denied me justice but also unjustly portrayed me—the civil plaintiff—as a criminal.

“In contrast, the proceedings in New Jersey demonstrated fairness and accountability. Presided over by the Honorable Judge Jeffrey B. Beacham, this outcome proves that the truth prevails and that accountability must extend to everyone, regardless of their position or influence,” he stated.

Anas has been awarded $18 million in damages following statements made by the former MP after the airing of the BBC documentary on corruption, 'Betraying the Game', on October 28, 2018.

The ruling, delivered by the Essex County Superior Court in the United States, specifically pertains to an interview conducted on 'The Daddy Fred Show', a program hosted by Ghanaian-American Frederick Asamoah, which aired on September 7, 2021.