Kevin Ekow Baidoo Taylor, the US-based Ghanaian social media commentator who has been sued by Kennedy Agyapong, Assin Central MP, over some alleged defamatory comments has said, the MP needs to prove those defamatory comments in court.
Responding to the suit on his verified Social Media page, ‘With All Due Respect,’ Taylor said, this is not a criminal case but libel, therefore, his lawyers will respond to the suit served on him.
He advised the MP to stay in the United States of America to be able to deal with the case that has been filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division.
“If you know Kennedy Agyapong, tell him that if he is going to Ghana, he shouldn’t go because we are going to respond very very soon and that we need to go to court quickly…,” he said.
Kevin Taylor, describing the case as an interesting case explained,
“this is a libel case and if you claim I have defamed you, you need to prove [in court] that whatever that I have said about you is not true.
“I am not the one to prove. I am not the one to prove that when I say you exposed the identity of Ahmed Suale and he was killed; it is up to you to prove that; you did not do that. So, I am waiting for you to prove. I will meet you in court for you to prove beyond reasonable doubt…”
“Tell Kennedy Agyapong, if you know him that, it is upon him and his lawyers to prove that whatever that I have said on my show is a lie. This is a libel case and he has to prove beyond reasonable doubt and (if) he is able to do so, then we begin from there,” Kevin Taylor stressed.
“I think I will let the judge know who Kennedy Agyapong is. The MP who was able to sit on TV and tell judges in Ghana that they are all fools, so, what applies to you, Mr Judge?”
Kennedy Agyapong is seeking USD $9.5 million dollars in damages awarded against Mr. Taylor.
A fifteen-paged court document filed at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said the MP’s suit was influenced by 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.”
“The factual background given in support of the action states among others that the defendants till date continue to repeat these false and defamatory statements about Plaintiff on their social media platforms, while other news outlets or platforms have also shared or republished the Defendants’ false statements.
“These false and defamatory statements have caused severe harm to Plaintiff’s personal, business, and political reputation. Plaintiff has also suffered severe embarrassment and personal humiliation due to Defendants’ defamatory statements” portions of the suit said.
Mr. Agyapong’s suit further contends that “Defendants’ factual assertions to the contrary are false, offensive and damages the reputation of Plaintiff as an MP.”
The legislator is thus seeking 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.