Photo by Carlo Pozzoni/AIPS
By: Najat Adamu
Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has been ordered by the Court of Appeal to appear in court without his mask in the trial against former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi.
On Thursday, January 30, 2025, the panel unanimously determined that Anas’s unmasked testimony is essential for ensuring a fair trial for the accused, in accordance with the constitution.
Although the Supreme Court had previously ruled that Anas must testify without a mask, Justice Ackaah Boafo criticised a high court’s initial consideration of Anas’s request to testify in disguise. The ruling emphasised, “The doctrine of stare decisis binds lower courts; therefore, the High Court erred in revisiting an issue already settled by the Supreme Court.”
The panel consisted of Justices Anthony Oppong, Ackaah Boafo, and Aboagye Tandoh. Their ruling mandates that Anas Aremeyaw Anas must appear and testify in court without his signature mask in the state’s case against Nyantakyi.
Kwesi Nyantakyi faces charges related to the 2018 Anas investigative exposé, known as Number 12, which revealed his involvement in corrupt practices.
