A United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, has dismissed a defamation suit brought before it by the Member of Parliament for Assin Central against US-based Ghanaian journalist, Kevin Taylor and his media company, Loud silence.
The lawmaker filed a suit against Mr. Taylor and was seeking USD $9.5 million dollars in damages awarded against Mr. Taylor.
The legislator sought seven (7) reliefs from the Virginia court, including an injunction prohibiting Kevin Taylor and his organization from posting on any media outlet any further defamatory remarks and an apology from the latter.
However, his suit was dismissed by the court which was presided over by Honourable Liam O’Grady.
The judge said Mr. Agyapong has no basis for demanding $9.5 million dollars in damages awarded to him.
He said Mr. Agyapong failed to truly prove that the comments made by Mr. Taylor were defamatory.
“It is undisputed that Agyapong is a public figure and Taylor’s statements were made regarding matters of public concern. The Amended Complaint does not plead any factual material that demonstrates Taylor’s disputed statements were published with actual malice.”
Meanwhile, the court has given him a 60-day window to appeal the judgment if he wishes.
The MP in his suit said he filed the case following a series of “false and defamatory statements in a series of videos and an email correspondence published by Defendants (Kevin Taylor and Loud Silence Media) via Facebook, YouTube, and other social media platforms about Plaintiff.”
It said the defendant, Kevin Taylor, and his organization had on several occasions referred to the plaintiff as a “murderer, drug dealer, and drug addict, thief, and green card fraudster”.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
