Watching the documentary, Galamsey Economy, I must confess that, I was never impressed about it, as I am never impressed about the kind of investigative journalism Anas Aremeyaw Anas is practicing here in Ghana.
He uses entrapment to make up his story, encouraging people to take money as forms of bribe, and then in the end blame them for collecting bribes. His motto, “Name and Shame,” should rather be about him.
Sometime ago, he showed us some judges collecting cash and kind, on camera and made the heart of this country boil over. In the end, these judges were dismissed from the bench, without hearing.
For the then Chief Justice to allow this to happen, pricks the conscience with the question, whether there is justice in this land.
Then came the infamous No. 12, which I personally have issues with Ghanaians who jumped and praised Anas for the exposé.
Firstly, here was Anas, who impersonating as an official of Accra Hearts of Oak, entrapped a referee, Samuel Sukah, by bribing him to spike a Hearts of Oak home match against Asante Kotoko in favour of the former. The match took place on March 19, 2017.
The referee, who did what he was paid to do, ended up awarding a penalty against Kotoko, when a Kotoko defender fell and his back blocked a shot from a Hearts attacker. Hearts of Oak, scored that controversial kick, but God being so merciful, the Kotoko fans did not raise any heated objection.
It happened earlier, on May 9, 2001, during a match between these two clubs at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium, where a controversial decision by the referee ended up with about 126 fans dying, placing Ghana at the second position in the world, when stadium disasters are listed.
Instead of dragging Anas to court for intending to bring back a disaster, Ghana’s authorities and people accepted his irresponsible excuse when he disclosed that he decided to manipulate the outcome of that match because he had the access and contacts.
In an interview with Joy FM on June 28, 2018, in defending his style of investigating, Anas, portrayed that entrapment was all he had at that time.
The question is, if to get the story he wants to put across and that would country will burn, so be it. A journalist lit that flame of clashes in Rwanda and millions got killed.
Instead of directing anger on Anas, Ghanaians flayed up against GFA chairman Kwesi Nyantakyi who was caught on camera receiving money which was the payment of his travelling expenses to a fake meeting which has got nothing to do with soccer.
The rage got the president to dissolve the GFA and Ghana football’s management by an IMC, sent the sport into the ditch. Two prominent lawyers in this country, Gloria Akufo and Margaretta Brew, said that in any court of competent jurisdiction, Anas’ No. 12, will not fly.
Meaning, nothing could be held against his victims. Meanwhile, Kwesi Nyantakyi, lost his position in Ghana, Africa and the world, soccer bodies.
He was most likely going to be the first Africa to head FIFA, but Anas never wanted that to happen. Today, Kwesi is exonerated by FIFA and Anas is been dragged to court.
My problem with Anas is that he assured us that he had an exposé on the House of Parliament, and that was in the last NDC regime. To date he has not shown Ghanaians what he has, but rather keep showing other exposés.
Now Galamsey Economy, we are told was recorded in 2018 and it is now been shown, four years later. Why did it take that long? And the picture was not sharp and again there were voice-overs.
What exactly is Anas up to? He has so much money to dish out as bribes and the question is where did he get all these from? To give away this money, it should be an investment.
Gate fees will not take care of the amounts given out as bribes, so where will Anas get his revenue from? These are questions that need to be asked and answers demanded.
Will Ghanaians wake up one morning and hear Anas telling us that he had successfully eradicated corruption from the system and present us with a bill of $750 million, demanding we pay or he will report us to IMF?
Readers, I am not in anyway defending the corrupt and other nation wreckers. I will wish to beg H.E. Nana Akufo Addo again, that to get rid of galamsey, all forms of mining must be suspended until we win back our forest and water bodies.
The documentary Galamsey Economy, should be taking as an Akan drama, which tells us what could possibly be happening in our forests and water bodies. Those put in charge of stopping this canker, may themselves be thick in the affairs of galamsey.
The president could possibly realise that he could be surrounded by people he trust to do the job, but who are rather doing the opposite.
And when Ghana goes the El Salvador’s way, people will look up to Nana Addo’s presidency and say, he did little to stop galamsey. This should never happen.
And that is why I am appealing to H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo to take that decision and suspend all forms of mining, until we get our environment back by winning back our forests, lands and water bodies.
Another episode from Anas is about Hon Charles Adu-Boahen. We are made to believe that Charles collected or intended to collect some $200,000.00 from some fake businessmen. He was to give that amount to give to H.E. Dr Bawumia, the vice president.
But, wait, $200,000.00! Where did that come from? How much is Anas earning from such exposés to be able to dish out this money? Who are his investors and how much do they earn from what Anas puts across? We need to be asking questions.
Charles Adu-Boahen is not as wise as his father, Professor Albert Adu-Boahen. In this day and age where there are scammers in every country except the Vatican City, how can a member of government drag himself into a meeting of strangers and say and do such things?
To the extent of desecrating the name of the vice president and degrading the presidency and demanding such an amount to be given as bribe, clearly shows that Charles qualifies to be a government appointee in an assembly and not a minister of state. That is if it is proven that he did and said what we are hearing.
Now, we hear people attacking the president and his family and they can be justified, even if there is no evidence. The harm has already been done.
I have an issue here with this exposé as well. It has come to my notice that finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta later encountered these group of fake businessmen assembled by Anas, and condemned them for their inappropriate acts.
If Anas could list out, for commendations, judges he attempted to entrap but who chased him out of their offices, promising him a jail term if he ever showed up again, why did he not mention the incorruptible nature of Ken Ofori-Atta who turned down the offer of hundreds of thousands of dollars? This shows that Anas has an agendum, and his attack, is on the Executive.
H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, promptly dismissed Charles Adu-Boahen from office and handed him over to the Special Persecutor to investigate him.
That was what the president should have first done with Anas No.12. Instead of dissolving the GFA and getting Kwesi Nyantakyi out of office, he should have allowed a thorough investigation to be conducted in the matter and the issue presented to court so that the wrong doers would be punished.
If he had done that, Anas would be discouraged from putting up documentaries with voice-overs which compromise the truth.
I want to see the president enforcing that justice is done by first allowing the judges issue, to go through the courts and the No. 12 issue dealt there as well.
In as much as we want to slam down on corruption, does not mean that people should be entrapped to make someone look great and important in this country to selfishly gain credit.
Entrapment is illegal. On August 16, 1984, John Delorean, an American engineer and car producer, who was on trial for drug trafficking, was acquitted and discharged after by the jury found him not guilty because he was a victim of clear government entrapment.
The issue of drug trafficking was thrown out because entrapment had taken place.
What Anas Amereyaw Anas is doing is not investigative journalism. In this field, one only goes out there and uncovers the truth as it is.
One does not go and entrap people. It is not like saying, “I hear that people, here are corrupt. Let me go and catch a few on camera.
” Then with a loan, one just goes dishing out money as bribes, recording the act and coming out to condemn those vulnerable people.
Every country, except the Vatican City, has got corrupt people in high, middle and low places. There are undercover agents who go and catch such corrupt people in the act, without entrapping them.
They do clean job and move freely in peace about without face masks. As for Anas, he goes it the wrong and illegal way, creating the situation for people to fall in and blow it out to get public endorsement. Then, for fear of his life, he walks about veiled.
To end this submission, I once again raise the issue about who are funding Anas? He can get foreigners to come in as businessmen and lodge in top class hotels in very expensive cities in the world, to just do the business of entrapping people.
He has signed up with the BBC, just to launch attacks on the integrity of this country, his homeland. And make his money.
But he, himself has questions to answer and he knows it.
Galamsey Economy should be accepted as an Akan drama which is drawing our attention to what could be or possibly be happening in the battlefield of this nation’s fight against galamsey.
And with Charles Adu-Boahen’s issue, it should be a warning to anyone working in the public or private sector, on the need to conduct themselves properly, especially when interacting with people they do not know or trust.
