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Lawyers for ace investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has asked Ghanaians to disregard false reportage that Anas has been ordered by the Supreme Court or is being compelled by the Supreme Court to appear in court without his trademark face mask.

In a statement sighted by Peacefmonline.com from Cromwell Gray LLP, Solicitors for Anas Aremeyaw Anas, "Anas may choose to testify as a Prosecution witness or not. Anas and his Tiger Eye team will continue to wear the iconic face beads as a symbol of impartial anonymity in investigative journalism and to highlight the extreme risks in that line of duty".

Background

The Supreme Court has rejected an Accra High Court order for investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, to testify in-camera against Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi for his documentary dubbed ‘Number 12’ which was premiered on 6th June 2018.

According to the ruling, the ace investigative Journalist has to appear in court without his trade mark mask.

In March 2022, during Case Management Conference, the High Court 2, Criminal Division presided over by her ladyship Elfreda Dankyi peremptorily granted an ORAL application by the prosecution for Anas Aremeyaw Anas to give evidence in camera as a prosecution witness in the case of Republic v Kwesi Nyantakyi and Another.

Dissatisfied with the given decision of the High Court 2, Kwesi Nyantakyi through his lead counsel, Thaddeus Sory applied to the Supreme Court for an order of certiorari to quash the dispensation given to Anas Aremeyaw Anas by the High Court.

The application was premised on three grounds; that the order of the High Court offended the human rights of the applicant as guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution, that the order was made without regard to the procedures and rules of court which required that a formal and not an oral application be made in such circumstances; and the order of the court was made in excess of jurisdiction of the court.

Presided over by Justice Baffoe-Bonnie on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the Judge granted an application for certiorari filed by Kwesi Nyantakyi quashing the order of High Court 2, Criminal Division, Accra granting a dispensation to Anas Aremeyaw Anas to testify in camera as a prosecution witness in the criminal case entitled Republic v Kwesi Nyantakyi & Another.

The Supreme Court upheld the application and quashed the order of the High Court as having been made without the requisite legal basis.