Ken Agyapong’s Defamation suit against Kevin Taylor suffers, dismissed by Virginian Court
The Member of Parliament alleged that Kevin Taylor has made several defamatory comments against him on his show ‘With all Due Respect’ which is broadcast on Facebook.
A suit of defamation brought against US-based Kevin Taylor and his Loud Silence Media by the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has been dismissed by a Virginian District Court.
The Member of Parliament alleged that Kevin Taylor has made several defamatory comments on his show ‘With all Due Respect’ which is broadcast on Facebook and that those false accusations were intended to humiliate and disparage his integrity.
GROUNDS OF ACTION
Plaintiff( Hon Agyapong) alleged that Kevin Taylor has specifically accused him of being connected to the 2016 murder of a Ghanaian Member of Parliament. Also, Taylor has accused him of being responsible for the murder of a journalist who had reported on the corruption at the GFA.
Additionally, Hon Ken alleged that the defendant(Taylor) has accused him of using a fake green card to help Ghanaian citizens immigrate to the United States and accused him also of trafficking in illegal drugs.
Moreover, Ken Agyapong alleged that Taylor has accused him of being addicted to illegal drugs, being involved in financial corruption.
Hon Agyapong, therefore, filed a complaint and an amended complaint against Kevin Taylor with counts for Defamation, Defamation per se, and violation of the Virginia Computer Crimes Act
In dismissing the suit, the court noted that Mr. Agyapong has not pleaded sufficient factual material to show that the statements were made with actual malice.
It also noted that the “pleadings regarding the statements about the plaintiff committing immigration fraud are similarly deficient”
Also, the court held that the pleadings regarding public corruption, drug trafficking, and drug addiction similarly do not allege facts that show the statements were made with actual malice.
The Court, therefore, indicated that none of the pleadings by the plaintiff demonstrated facts that show that Taylor acted with a “ high degree of awareness” of the falsity of his remarks when the statements were made thus upheld and granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss the amended complaint.
The court has meanwhile given the plaintiff, Hon Kennedy Agyapong, 60 days to file a second amended complaint.
