Ghana’s Court of Appeal has ruled that investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas must testify without his signature mask in the ongoing trial of former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi.

In a unanimous ruling on Thursday, 30 January 2025, the three-judge panel, consisting of Justices Anthony Oppong, Ackaah Boafo, and Aboagye Tandoh, determined that Anas could not testify while concealing his face.

Justice Ackaah Boafo, delivering the decision, highlighted the constitutional right of the accused to a fair trial, emphasizing that this right outweighed the witness protection arguments put forward by the state. The court held that the right of the accused to see and challenge their accuser in a criminal trial was paramount.

The Court of Appeal also criticised a previous ruling by the High Court, which had reconsidered the state’s request for Anas to testify in disguise. The appellate court pointed out that the High Court was bound by a prior ruling from the Supreme Court and should not have revisited the issue.

The ruling means that Anas, renowned for his undercover investigations, will now be required to appear in court without his trademark hood when testifying in the case involving Nyantakyi, who is facing charges related to Anas’ 2018 documentary, Number 12, which exposed corruption within Ghanaian football.

Source:TheDotNews