TIG Post

Tag: investigative journalist

  • Expose those who commit actual crimes, don’t set people up – IEA to Anas

    Expose those who commit actual crimes, don’t set people up – IEA to Anas

    Director of research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr. John Kwakye, has cautioned investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas against setting up people to commit crimes in a way to expose them.

    Dr Kwakye says setting people up to commit a crime is unacceptable and should be condemned.

    His comments come after Anas said that he would be releasing a documentary on corruption in Ghana before the 2024 general elections.

    Anas said this exposé will shake the foundation of the country.

    He said these while answering questions in an interview on whether Anas was a ‘terrorist’ as was recently said by a High Court judge.

    Anas defended his methods and talked about corruption in Africa.

    He said “The work that I am doing now might be the last before we get into the [2024] elections. But already the signs are very clear and I can tell you that the foundation would be shaken once again.”

    “There are a couple of international ones that are about to be released. But this one, talking to you as a Ghanaian, I mean the foundation of Ghana would be shaken,” he is reported to have said.

    Commenting on this in a tweet, Dr Kwakye said “If Anas isn’t interested in cashing in on the elections, he should wait to publish his documentary after not before.

    “Anas shouldn’t think that he can hold the whole country to ransom. No one is without blemish in this world. He himself isn’t an angel. Anas should work to catch people who commit actual crimes. He shouldn’t set people up to commit crimes. That’s unacceptable and should be condemned.

  • Anas’ conviction represents a win for credible journalism – Kennedy Agyapong

    Anas’ conviction represents a win for credible journalism – Kennedy Agyapong

    A member of parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, has stated that the defamation case he won against investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas should not be seen as a victory for him but a win for professional journalism and all those who have been harmed by Anas’ investigative reporting.

    In a statement, Mr Agyapong said “It is important that as we digest the judgment, we focus on the real essence and not view it as a victory for Ken.

    “It is  indeed a victory for professional journalism  as well as individuals and governments across Africa  who have suffered unjustly from this style of investigative journalism.”

    The Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15 dismissed the GH¢25 million defamation suit against Kennedy Ohene Agyapong brought by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

    The judge, Justice Eric Baah, held that Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to prove that Ken Agyapong defamed him by airing the documentary – “Who watches the watchman” – but rather, the documentary exposed shady deals that Anas and his associates were involved in.

    This was after Anas, in 2018, sued the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker for allegedly defaming him.

    Anas prayed to the court to award GH¢25 million against Mr Agyapong to compensate him for the defamatory material published against him by the MP.

    The court concluded that what Anas is engaged in is not investigative journalism but rather “investigative terrorism” and that Agyapong was justified to call Anas “a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil”.

    “I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas) meritless and they are hereby dismissed,” Justice Baah ruled.

    But Anas said he disagreed with the judge both on law and on the facts of the case.

    He accused Justice Baah of delving into the arena of criminal prosecution against him despite the matter being a civil case.

    “My team and I and the lawyers have carefully studied the judgment delivered by the court and we are unanimous that the judge made an overreach and descended into the arena and made criminal pronouncements about me as If I was standing a criminal trial.

    “He also justified the MP accusing me of the murder of JB Danquah, murder of 20 Chinese nationals. We are filing an appeal because there was no evidence provided,” Anas said in a video recording responding to the judgment.”

    He added “…I disagreed with the judge’s ruling both on law and the facts. when I started this work 21 years ago, I never assumed that it would be an easy road yet it is the evidence in my work and the commitment to truth and justice that has always led and prevailed against all the forces that have worked to pull us down”.