Anas Aremeyaw Anas
Investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has petitioned the National Media Commission (NMC) to investigate a presenter at Accra- based Hot FM, Justice Kweku Annan.
Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team have accused the presenter of “unwarranted attacks.”
According to Anas, they have received several unnecessary attacks from the presenter via his show, “Ghana Must Know.”
He said the events took place before and after the premiering of the #Number12 video which exposed corruption in Ghana football.
Anas and his team screened a video in June 2018 which captured top officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) as well as over 70 referees in supposed acts of corruption.
In his petition, Anas said the untoward situation compelled him and his team to investigate Mr. Annan whom they alleged had been bribed to execute such machinations against them.
The petition stated: “We posed as a relative to a man who had been exposed by Anas and his team and wanted to see Anas destroyed. We met Mr. Annan on three occasions–twice at Kempinski Hotel in Accra and Afrikiko around Jubilee House on 5th and 22nd June 2018.”
It continued: “Our sting operation revealed that contrary to journalism actuated by the highest ideal principles of decency, Mr. Annan was engaged in a media practice sold to the highest bidder. He revealed that he was already involved in a similar project purposely designed to destroy the credibility of Messrs Anas and Baako. He told us there were a group of influential Ghanaians including politicians such as Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, who are bent on exposing the face of Anas and eventually destroy his credibility with series of untruths and lies. He revealed the operation was on two platforms – radio and television. Mr. Agyapong is in charge of television whilst he Annan is in charge of radio.”
According to Anas, Mr. Annan asked them to “pay an initial deposit of GH¢35,000” to contribute to the project to destroy Anas, Tiger Eye PI and Mr. Baako; he decided to come for extra money as the project advanced.
However, Anas disclosed they paid him GH¢5,000.
Anas in his petition said although they are not opposed to any journalist/or media house using transparent enquiry to expose ills in society, the element of bribery and inducement as a motivation to destroy a fellow journalist and media house is simply unacceptable and an affront to the good profession.
He further asked the NMC to immediately probe the presenter since to him, such actions are not in accordance with the highest journalistic standards and media ethics pursuant to section 13 of NMC Act, 1993 (Act 449).
“It is upon the foregoing that we request a full-scale investigation into the activities of Mr. Annan and Hot FM. We thank the NMC very much in anticipation of its speedy evaluation of this case and subsequent consideration for immediate action,” Anas added in the petition.
Tiger Eye PI attached to the petition audio and visual recordings of their meetings with the radio presenter, publications by Hot FM in the month of June, as well as a transcript of the audio and video meetings to back their claims.