The High Court on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, ruled to stop the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, from testifying to alleged bribery attempts Anas Aremeyaw Anas made on former FA President, Kwasi Nyantakyi in the run-up to the premiering of Anas’ expose’ on football in Ghana; Number 12.
The investigative journalist sued the Member of Parliament for GHS25 million, following the lawmaker’s public commentary on the Number 12 documentary.
In his evidence in chief, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong alleged that the ace investigative journalist approached then FA President, Kwasi Nyantakyi to pay $150, 000 and have either portions of the documentary implicating Mr. Nyantakyi removed from the piece, or to have the premiering of the entire piece stopped.
Mr. Agyapong further alleged that Mr. Nyantakyi raised only one hundred thousand dollars of the demanded sum, but was vehemently rejected by the investigative journalist, who then proceeded to premier the damning piece.
Mr. Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ lawyers however raised objections to the narrations, describing them as hearsay.
They argued that the said matters were neither authored by Mr. Agyapong nor were they within his personal knowledge and that allowing him to testify to such contentious matters would be offensive to the rules of evidence.
Justice Eric Baah of the General Jurisdiction Court 2 Division of the High Court agreed with Mr. Anas’ lawyers on this and upheld the objections.
Thus, Mr. Agyapong will not be testifying to his attempted bribery allegation.
However, he will be allowed to rely on, and be cross-examined on, prominently, his counter documentary at the time; ‘Who watches the Watchman.’
This is because Justice Baah dismissed Mr. Anas’ objections to the exhibits; KOA1, KOA3, and KOA4.
The outspoken Member of Parliament is subsequently being cross-examined in this GHS25million defamation suit, on his commentary on the investigative piece, Number 12.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas considers that commentary a slight on his reputation.
