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His name is Anas Aremeyaw Anas. Past master of the art of disguise and performance, he turns into a woman, Catholic priest, police officer... and even a rock! With his hidden camera, he infiltrates, shoots, collects compromising pictures. All this, simply to force the authorities to judge the corrupt and other criminals appropriately. Recently, this feared and respected Ghanaian investigative journalist who has plied his trade for over 15 years, anonymously and masking his face, has hit again! The Ghanaian courts are trembling!
Hue & cry for Ghanaian justice!
His film Ghana in the Eyes of God, Epic of Injustice was a bombshell and spared no one. Neither the small West African nation whose judicial system had been touted as a paragon of probity, nor the population now in a state of shock, nor clearly the judicial system which found itself in the heart of a hurricane!
After a two-year investigation, this “James Bond of journalism” had compiled nearly 500 hours of testimony. The one who is also a lawyer has been careful, for the sake of the investigation, to obtain from the public prosecutor a guarantee of immunity in accordance the law protecting whistleblowers of criminal behaviour. Mindful of the threat of court action against any Ghanaian media that may have been involved in presenting his documentary, he had the foresight to screen a public viewing nationally rather than just a televised broadcast.
In submitting his recording to Georgina Theodora Wood, the president of Ghana’s Supreme Court, Anas Aremeyaw Anas revealed the biggest scandal ever to taint the courts in his country! Result of the investigation: after viewing his images showing judges and other court staff accepting sweeteners and extorting funds in return for lenient rulings and job appointments, the Judicial Council held a hearing at the end of which it fired 20 judges for corruption.
The Black Star Gate on Independence Square, Accra, commemorates the 1957 independence of Ghana. ©Stig Nygaard.
True to his motto "name, shame and jail" this righter of wrongs is no novice, having infiltrated dozens of situations and exposed corruption and organized crime, to ensure that appropriate penalties are applied.
Convinced that, to contribute to the wellbeing of society, investigative journalism should do more than just inform but should give the judicial anthill a kick, the man whose real face is known only to a few, begs the question: what to think of a democracy where judges operate with no scruples about justice and its institutions?
Not sure though that criminals care... Besides, to escape the consequences of their actions, haven’t some of them demanded that Anas Aremeyaw Anas let his mask down?
“Journalism is about results, its about affecting your community or society in the most progressive way”
Sandra Wolmer: (S. W.): Your country is depicted as a model of democracy and the judiciary is described as a paragon. What are your comments about that (considering that your latest work proves the contrary)? Have you kept faith in your country's institutions?
Anas Aremeyaw Anas (A. A. A.): I stand by the fact that Ghana still remains a model of democracy despite my work which points out the ills in the judiciary. It is not about exposing corruption, but most importantly, it's the country's capacity to sanitize itself after the expose which is important. There is no point in doing journalism for people to read in their bedrooms and smile without action. I think Ghana has taken the bull by the horn and is dealing with the issues head-on. That is worth emulating by other countries. I am pretty satisfied by the actions of the judiciary, which is aimed at purging itself. The Chief Justice and the judicial council have demonstrated courage despite the shame to deal with this matter. I am still very confident in these institutions. The process of investigating these judges has been very transparent. The accused judges have access to lawyers sometimes 5 lawyers and they cross-examine me thoroughly. I make my case (show the videos-hard-core evidence) and they make their case. At the end of the day, judgement is passed. Everything is done transparently.
Ghanaian flags at Independence Square. ©Ben Sutherland.
S. W.: What were the specific elements that led you to focus on the judiciary: testimonies, your professional experience as a lawyer...
A. A. A.: My journalism is a product of the society. I name, shame and jail the bad guys because my society finds that prudent. My focus on the judiciary is therefore based on information I received from the low level and middle class persons in the villages and parts of the country. The poor and the deprived are the ones who the scales of justice tilt against in the society because of poverty; they are the ones who signalled me of the bad acts of some members of the judiciary.
The Supreme Court of Ghana. ©Guido Sohne.
S. W.: You have scrutinized different universes. Focusing on prostitution and justice, you dealt with two very sensitive issues. Don't you think that you have achieved a point of no return, a red line, that may seriously endanger your future work (considering the "specific public" you targeted)?
A. A. A.: There is still more to be done on the continent. And my journalism is tailored to suit the aspirations of my people. I will only get to the point of no return when evils in the society have been eliminated. As far as I am concerned, journalism is about progress and improvement in the people's lives and evidence show that my kind of journalism is the bedrock of progress. The end always justifies the means. And the general public have already and continue to demonstrate the need for my kind of journalism. It works and the results are palpable.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas. ©Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
S. W.: How do you balance the crucial need to preserve your anonymity with your celebrity status (you have hit the headlines)?
A. A. A.: The preservation of my anonymity, which is my secret weapon, has been dear to the hearts of many of my supporters. I personally put in a lot to keep myself hidden but I am also very grateful to my colleagues who know me and yet have helped in keeping this anonymity till date. God bless all of them!
S. W.: What have been the most violent reactions you have had to face? Do you understand them?
A. A. A.: My work has been pretty risky depending on the subject. There have been many near-death situations. I put in a lot to ensure my team's safety but the dangers I face are not unusual with my other colleagues on the African continent. Everyday we pray and hope that we are able to live to tell the next story. And to those who have made it their business to be attacking us, the day they will succeed in taking our lives; there will always be another Anas who would come and may even be a better firebrand.
S. W.: Does the word "optimism" still make sense to you?
A. A. A.: Optimism makes perfect sense to me. I am optimistic that this country and by extension the African continent will grow to a more greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death of this great continent of ours is when the youth continue to let go and decide to give up.
S. W.: Your final word?
A. A. A.: Judicial corruption is an African problem and must be dealt with in a more holistic and pragmatic approach. Many African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Ivory Coast and many others face this problem. As journalists, we usually don't shine the light in some of these institutions because we think they are revered and mystical to touch. If we were questioning our judiciary, things would have really changed for the better.
"name, shame and jail "
Anas Aremeyaw Anas. ©Anas Aremeyaw Anas.
Have you thought about how various wars in Burundi, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Rwanda came about? If you read history, you will realize that at certain times if the judiciary had been a little bit fair, all these wars may not have happened. A judge or a presiding judge should not give judgement based on ethnic considerations. If you tilt the scales of justice in a case involving a Hutu and Tutsi ethnic group (Rwanda) in a little corner in a courtroom, you would have taken money to satisfy your instant greed but what you may not know is that you have sown a seed of genocide that will wipe out a whole generation. So an unfair judge has a capacity to create chaos and anarchy in the society. There are many good judges on the continent, but the few bad ones are rocking the boat and we have to cure this mischief on the continent. Do not be surprised if you see me in any other country in doing this name, shame and jail journalism.
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Cover picture: Anas Aremeyaw Anas. ©Anas Aremeyaw Anas.