Ghanaian Journalists must be bold – Anas Aremeyaw Anas

Anas, whose latest two-year investigative piece has unearthed massive corruption in Ghana’s judiciary, is urging Ghanaian journalists not to be intimated in exposing the wrongs in society.

Speaking at the Global Investigative Journalists Conference in Norway, Anas said Ghanaian journalists must be bold to correct the wrongs in society.

“I think that when you look at the press freedom index Ghana scores very high. Ghana is not a place where you speak and somebody will clamp down on your rights. But now the issue is not about the rights but rather what we the journalists ought to do with that right. And this judges’ issue in particular is very dear to my heart and I think its worst in other African countries”.

“…Even the courage to question is not there and that saddens me a lot. I am sure that if all of us can question our various systems and institutions we will move forward more rapidly” Anas emphasized.

Meanwhile hundreds of international journalists, who were hoping to watch Anas’ latest exposé on corruption in Ghana’s judiciary, were disappointed as he stayed away from the subject.

Anas rather showed them a different investigative piece on theft within the Ghana Health Service and declined to comment on his recent piece about the judiciary, citing the law suits brought against him by some of the implicated judges.

“34 Judges are being investigated, they have been suspended by the President of Ghana because of the investigation I have done. I cannot go further to say because the case is in court. We are talking about 34 Judges and 146 judicial staff. That is all I can say.” Anas however charged his colleagues in Ghana not to be intimidated but take advantage of the growing “media freedom” to expose the rot in society. Over 800 journalists from 121 countries are attending this year’s conference.