No State Agency Supported Anas Financially – Kweku Baako Insists

Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Malik Kweku Baako has categorically denied reports that government or a state agency financially supported ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest undercover piece "Enemies of the Nation", which exposed bribery and corruption at the Tema Port.

But Mr. Baako assertion seems to contradict that of government.

In a statement signed by Deputy Minister for Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Monday, Government revealed that the two recent investigative works by journalist Anas Aremayaw Anas [that is the Cocoa smuggling report and the latest on happenings at the Tema Port] were funded by a State institution.

Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii sen programme, Mr. Baako said even though the investigation was triggered by a request from a state agency, there was no monetary sponsorship. He said Anas has his own private investigation agency and also works as the deputy Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper so the two platforms work together on such investigations.

“As far as I know, there was no government funding or state funding. Anas has a private investigation agency and he is the deputy in-charge of New Crusading Guide so when he is doing his investigations, the two platforms are brought together depending on the nature of the investigation,” he noted.

He noted that the process of conducting such investigations involves some level of collaboration with officials and unofficial sources and contacts, so that when something goes terribly wrong and he is arrested, he will not be treated as a criminal.

In particular reference to the “Enemies of the State” undercover works, the Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide revealed that two of Anas’ investigators were arrested and it took the intervention from relevant authorities for them to be released because of the level of collaboration.

“When Anas went to Elubo to do the cocoa smuggling syndicate, he was arrested and put in a police cell, but we had made arrangements to ensure that when something of that sort happens he will not be seen as a criminal but will have his freedom. And during this particular interview, two of his investigators were arrested and some newspapers published their pictures which we found very problematic,” he noted.

Mr. Kweku Baako, who expressed frustration over how Anas’ latest exposé is being handled, warned against politicizing the findings since corruption at the Tema Port is a systematic problem which should not be blamed on any particular government.

“Different investigations have different results and different governments and Presidents have different approach in handling them and I don’t have a problem with that but what I don’t like is the way this Anas video exposé is been handled by all the political divides in the game. Anas has done findings when carefully analyzed will reveal systematic problem which requires institutional renewal not criminal prosecution,” he emphasized.

He warned that should Anas’ exposé be treated like an object for political football, nothing good will come out of it.