Kennedy Agyapong's Properties In US Valued At Over $1.8m Amid $18m Defamation Suit Loss To Anas
- Kennedy Agyapong owns at least three properties in the US, with a combined value exceeding $1.8 million
- The valuation of the properties comes from property records obtained from Essex County, New Jersey
- Aremeyaw Anas was awarded $18m in damages after winning his defamation suit against Agyapong
Businessman and politician Kennedy Agyapong owns at least three properties in the US, with a combined purchase value exceeding $1.8 million.
3 News reported that the valuation was confirmed via property records obtained from Essex County, New Jersey.
Source: Twitter
These details have relevance to the $18 million defamation judgment in favour of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas against Agyapong.
The court ruling, comprised of $5 million in presumed damages, $5 million in actual damages, and $8 million in punitive damages, makes up that total
3News also reported that according to the court documents, Agyapong may own additional real estate elsewhere in the US.
What properties does Kennedy Agyapong own?
West Orange Residence
- Purchase date: October 5, 2007
- Purchase price: $980,000
- Mortgage amount: $730,000 (through World Savings Bank FSB)
- Current assessed value: $906,200 (as of 2020)
- Current market value: Approximately $1,082,676
Newark Residence
- Purchase date: November 9, 2005
- Purchase price: $490,000
- Mortgage amount: $392,000 (through Aames Home Loans)
- Current assessed value: $295,600 (as of 2020)
- Current market value: Approximately $342,090
East Orange Residence
- Purchase date: February 28, 2005
- Purchase price: $365,000
- Mortgage amount: $200,000 (through Emigrant Mortgage Company)
- Current assessed value: $290,000 (as of 2020)
- Current market value: Approximately $415,175
These properties could potentially be used to satisfy at least part of the judgment.
Anas’s legal team could potentially place liens on these properties or initiate foreclosure proceedings, should Agyapong fail to satisfy the court’s award voluntarily.
Anas' lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong
Anas filed a suit against Agyapong after defamatory remarks. In an interview on The Daddy Fred Show in September 2021, the politician called the journalist a criminal and a thief.
The former Assin Central MP also alleged that Anas was responsible for the murder of fellow investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale and the deaths of multiple Chinese nationals in Ghana.
Anas, known for his undercover journalism exposing corruption, argued that these accusations severely damaged his reputation and potentially put his life at risk.
The journalist sued in the US, after a similar lawsuit in Ghana against Agyapong was dismissed.
In his defence, Agyapong claimed that his remarks were made during a political dispute and were not meant to be taken literally.
Anas speaks after winning case
Hours after the news of his victory emerged, Anas released a statement online.
He explained that the suit was linked to fallout from the BBC documentary Betraying The Game which indicted former Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi in 2018.
He said justice had prevailed and that victory was not just for him but for press freedom and those working to expose corruption and wrongdoing.
"No amount of intimidation or falsehood will silence the pursuit of accountability even in the face of assassination. Our work continues, undeterred and unafraid."
Nyantakyi freed in number 12 exposé case
YEN.com.gh reported that the former Ghana Football Association boss Kwesi Nyanyaki was discharged in the ongoing number 12 corruption trial.
The prosecution in the case was unable to present Anas to testify against him, with the journalist refusing to testify without his trademark disguise.
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Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Delali Adogla-Bessa (Head of Current Affairs and Politics Desk) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.
Bruce Douglas (Senior Copyeditor) Bruce Douglas has 13 years of experience in community media, including coverage of sports, human interest, crime and politics.
