The Supreme Court of Ghana has reaffirmed a judgment against investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas after it dismissed a motion the journalist filed against a decision by an Accra High Court in a defamation case involving Assin Central Member of Parliament, Ken Agyepong.
Anas had proceeded to the Supreme court after a High Court presided over by Justice Eric Baah dismissed his suit describing him as a criminal and a blackmailer which Anas found offensive.
“From the above, I hold that the plaintiff [Anas] 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,” Justice Baah ruled after awarding a cost of GH¢50,000 against Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
The investigative Journalist displeased with the outcome, filed a motion at the Supreme Court to quash the decision of the High Court.
In his suit at the Supreme Court, Anas said Justice Eric Baah acted beyond his jurisdiction by using certain words on him in the judgement.
The Supreme Court has now dismissed the motion. The ruling came today in a 3-2 majority decision.
The 5-member panel of the court was chaired by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo.
Justice Imoro Amadu Tanku and Justice Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi dissented while the Chief Justice, Justices Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Samuel Asiedu were on the majority side of the decision.
The full reasoning of its decision will be made available by March 4.
