You are practicing investigative terrorism, not journalism – Judge tells Anas Aremeyaw Anas

Undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas was informed by the Accra High Court that his work is “investigative terrorism” rather than investigative journalism.

Following the court’s dismissal of the journalist’s GHC25 million defamation lawsuit against Kennedy Agyapong, the MP, this occurred.

The judge, Judge Eric Baah, concluded that the MP was entitled to call Anas “a blackmailer, crooked, an extortionist, and vile,” asaaseradio.com reported.

I find the plaintiff’s (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) allegations to be without merit, and they are hereby dismissed,” he said.
Travesty of justice: Anas reacts to losing GH¢25m defamation suit against Ken Agyapong

Anas Aremeyaw Anas referred to the Accra High Court’s conclusion that Kennedy Agyapong, the MP for Assin Central, had not slandered him as a farce of justice after the judgment.

As the MP aired a public documentary titled “Who Watches the Watchman” to expose suspected shady dealings involving the journalist and his profession, Anas sued the politician for for defamation in 2018.

Anas responded to the decision by saying that, if nothing else, Ken Agyapong had accused him of murder even though there was nothing in the aforementioned documentary that even hinted at the crime being committed.

Nonetheless, the journalist has been working in this field for a very long time, publishing his first undercover report in 1999.

Here is a full list of all of the works he has undertaken in his career, made available via wikipedia:

The Burger Story (1999): Anas has never conducted an undercover investigation before. In order to expose police officers who accepted bribes from unlicensed sellers on a busy Accra route, he acted as a street vendor.

Torture on the High Seas (2003): To reveal the mistreatment of Ghanaian employees by a Korean employer, Anas traveled undercover onboard a cargo vessel from Afko Fisheries.

Bole Rebel Raid (2005): An investigative report revealed how Ivorian insurgents entered Ghanaian territory in 2005, broke into certain northern settlements, and repeatedly tortured and mistreated the locals.

In this tale, Anas posed as someone else in the villages of Walata and Saru. Rebels from Ivory Coast had invaded and taken the chief of Saru and a few of his elders hostage. Anas traveled as the “Prince of Walata” as part of the inquiry and was successful in meeting the rebel commander and learning about the rebel camp and activities.

The John Kufuor administration took action to remedy the lack of security in the impacted neighborhoods once the news was publicized. The government provided protection for the impacted Ghanaian villages, the chief and elders were freed, and the borders were guarded.

Passport Scandal (2006): Anas sought to expose employees at Ghana’s passport office who sold Ghanaian passports to non-citizens for a charge by posing as a wealthy businessman. He used false identities to create a large number of passports. To demonstrate how corrupt the system was, passports were issued in the names of the then-President, the Inspector General of Police, and other prominent national and political figures. As a result, Ghanaians received their biometric passports quickly.

Torture Chamber of Bangkok Prisons (2006): During an undercover inquiry, Anas visited Thailand and entered its jails posing as a priest. He spoke with various West African and Ghanaian inmates about the abuse and fatalities of foreign inmates in jail, highlighting the mistreatment of expatriates in Thai jails.

Because to Anas’ efforts, the Ghanaian government was able to negotiate with the Thai government for the return to Ghana of all convicted Ghanaians detained in Thailand.

Eurofood Scandal (2006): Anas conducted an investigation in which he posed as a lowly worker at the Ghanaian biscuit and candy firm Eurofood. In Ghana and other countries in Africa, Eurofood was making biscuits for the general population using flour that had gone bad and was infected with maggots.

Soja Bar Prostitution (2007): a probe into one of Ghana’s biggest brothels at the time. Anas pretended to be a cleaner and went undercover. He disclosed the forced prostitution of certain minors.

a probe into one of Ghana’s biggest brothels at the time. Anas pretended to be a cleaner and went undercover. He disclosed the forced prostitution of certain minors.

Imam’s School of Shock (2008): This is the account of a slave trader who used an Islamic school as bait to traffic and exploit 15 children in Ghana and Togo. He lured teenage victims into a life of begging and used their labor to build a substantial fortune. Using a covert camera, Anas acquired information that resulted in the arrest of the slave owner.
Humans for Sale: Dons Exposed (2008): Anas conducted this inquiry over the course of eight months. It included five nations in both West Africa and Europe. He fought to break up an international trafficking network, obtained information to bring a political person to justice, saved 17 girls who were going to be sold, exposed dishonest immigration officers, and testified at the trial.

Orphans Home of Hell (2010): Investigating the largest state-run orphanage in Ghana. exposed the facility’s corruption and child abuse.

In the Interest of the State (2010): exposed traffickers of cocoa and their accomplices inside Ghana’s security apparatus.

Inside Ghana’s Madhouse (2010): Anas discovered patient human rights violations while working undercover in Ghana’s largest mental facility.

Four films in 2011 for Al Jazeera Africa Investigations in Ghana’s Gold, Fools’ Gold, Sierra Leone (Timber), and Spell of the Albino (Tanzania).

Enemies of the Nation (2011): Undercover to expose fraud and corruption at one of Ghana’s key points of entry, the Tema harbor.

Wild Ghana Project (2012): A look at how gullible and vulnerable customers can be exploited, featuring the “Abortion Lord” who had sex with his female clients when they came to him for abortions.

Deadly Gold (2012): An investigation into the negative effects of illegal gold mining in Ghana.

Dons of the Forest (2012): A follow-up to “In The Interest of The State” operation to busted a ring of people who diverted and sold fertilizers meant for the cocoa farmer.

The Prez’s Assignment – Stealing the People’s Power (2012: A three-phase investigation into the power distribution sector in Ghana. Exposed acts of corruption on the part of employees of power distribution company ECG (electricity company of Ghana) and indebtedness on the part of individuals and companies.

The Messiah of Mentukwa (2013): The story of how one woman, Helen Jesus Christ, set up a church in a remote village in Ghana’s hinterland and convinced members that Jesus Christ was coming soon and they could only be saved if they cut themselves off the rest of the world. With that came physical abuse and children being denied access to school.

Al Jazeera – People and Power, How to Robe Africa (2013): This was a film on how African businesses fleece their governments and stash these stolen funds in off-shore accounts. With journalist Stanley Kwenda.

Spirit Child (2013): Filmed in Northern Ghana, where Anas exposed the barbaric sacrifices of children who were believed to bring ill luck to their families. The story led to the arrest of some fetish priests, with Anas advocating for the prosecution of such persons.

Al Jazeera Africa Investigates – Nigeria’s Fake Doctors (2014): Anas teamed up with colleague Rosemary Nwaebuni to investigate the activities of quack doctors who risk the lives of vulnerable people in Nigeria. The film led to the arrest of two people who were using pharmacy shops and beer parlours as operating theaters for patients who were in desperate need of medical attention. It presents bogus doctors with no medical qualifications and little knowledge providing illegal abortions and the resultant fatal injuries.

Ghana Food for Thought (2014): Focuses on stealing and corruption in the process of supplying donated food to its intended recipients. Anas went undercover to expose the activities of some Ghana Health Service officers who ran a corrupt business selling food donated by the World Food Program (WFP) and destined free-of-charge to disadvantaged children in the north. Three people were arrested.

Ghana Sex Mafia (2014): Film built on the Chinese Sex Mafia story of February 2009. Tells the story of Chinese girls trafficked into Ghana and how Anas went undercover to bust the ring and testified in court leading to the prosecution of the traffickers.

Ghana’s Soul Takers (2014): This was a three part investigative documentary that was centered on road safety. The first part looked at driver licensing and the corruption and fraud it is fraught with.

The second installment, Doom – the silent killer next door, tells three social interest stories of how families lost loved ones to the carnage on Ghana’s roads, and highlighted some of the dangers associated with commercial transport.

The third part examines police corruption and the tacit contribution of Ghana’s traffic police (the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, MTTD) of the Police Service.

Ghana Judiciary Scandal (2015): In four screenings on September 23, 2015, Anas debuted his undercover film “Ghana In The Eyes Of God” in front of a record-breaking audience of more than 6500 spectators at the Accra International Conference Center. It highlighted pervasive corruption inside the judiciary and illustratively demonstrated how bailiffs and clerks collaborate with a number of respected judges to sway court decisions through bribery. A concealed camera saw 34 judges and magistrates accepting cash, goats, lambs, and even food as inducements. As a result, suspects in robberies, murders, drug deals, rapes, and property disputes were let off the hook. In Ghanaian society, the movie successfully sparked a severe and disruptive crisis of conscience.

The Judicial Council established a disciplinary commission to look into the accusations of bribery and extortion made against the 34 judges and magistrates. After a lawsuit filed at the Fast Track High Court by 14 Circuit Court judges questioning the legality or otherwise of the mechanism used by the committee to probe the subject, it had to take a break from its meetings at one point.

The Judiciary Service then launched an investigation into more than 100 employees after Anas filed a petition and recordings revealing the impacted employees accepting payments to sway court decisions. The Judicial Council has reopened its inquiries into the situation since Anas has requested the removal of the concerned individuals. Judges who were impacted have now been suspended. While Anas was granted immunity from prosecution, the situation is still tight. Many musical songs, cartoons, and other public displays of support increased the impact of his documentary film.

Twenty of the Judges and Magistrates mentioned in the petition were among the 21 who were unanimously chosen to be fired by the Council on December 7. Both those who received perks and those who did not were dismissed from their positions. When those removed with benefits appeared before the Committee, they were repentant and profusely apologized to the Ghanaian people and the judiciary for bringing the institution’s reputation into shame by their actions. Midway through January 2016, the Council—where Anas is personally presenting the evidence—started meeting again to look at the remaining cases.

Nigeria’s Baby Farmers (2015): In this episode of Africa Investigates, journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas and investigative reporter Rosemary Nwaebuni went undercover to identify and expose some of those behind Nigeria’s baby trade. The trade exploits couples desperate for a baby and young pregnant single mothers — often stigmatised in a country where abortion is illegal except in the most dire medical emergency. It is also a trade that international NGOs have identified as sinister and out of control.

The team found bogus doctors and clinics offering spurious fertility treatments in return for large amounts of money. In their guise as a childless couple, Anas and Rosemary were falsely diagnosed by one clinician as being unable to conceive children.

Number 12 (2018): The corruption in the Ghana Football Association is the subject of Anas’ investigation (GFA). The president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, was shown portions of the investigative article personally. The GFA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, is shown in the video pretending to ask certain football investors for bribery while posing as the President, Vice President, and other high government officials. The President complained to the Criminal Investigation Division of the Ghana Police Service about Nyantakyi’s actions. After being detained, he was given bail.

Following receiving a temporary suspension from FIFA, Nyantakyi resigned as the head of the Ghana Football Association as well as his positions as the first vice president of CAF, a member of the FIFA Council, and the president of Zone B of the West African Football Union (WAFU).

Moreover, the Ghana Football Association was disbanded.

Torture Home (2019): “Torture Home, when a man of god abuses children” is an investigation an Echoing Hill village orphanage run by Baptist Pastor Lawrence Lamina. It uncovers widespread child abuse, neglect and thievery of food donation at the hand of the pastor and his “caretakers.”

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