Anas video: Go to court if you feel offended – Ayeboafoh

A former Editor at Graphic and member of the National Media Commission (NMC) Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh has asked people who feel offended by the methodology and approach of investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to go to court and test the law.

He said even though Anas sometimes goes beyond the realms of journalistic limits in his works, the interest of the public runs supreme in them.

The comments come as some Ghanaians continue to question the strategies employed by Anas in uncovering crime. Some critics, including maverick politician Kennedy Agyapong have accused Anas of resorting to entrapment and inducement in his work.

Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Wednesday, Mr. Ayeboafoh said the debate over the propriety or otherwise of Anas’ approach must be encouraged.

“There are some who will say Anas was right conducting the investigation and there are others who will say otherwise. If in an investigative piece your actions indicate that you had to do certain things because of National Interest, you may be allowed to go, otherwise you get to face the law. When investigators make their intentions known before investigations are carried out, they may not get the desired results. In order to get desired results, some of them have to use other methods outside the usual.

“The methods of Anas are not wholly journalistic. If one is offended by the works of Anas the fellow has the right to deal with the matter and seek redress,” he said.

Also commenting on the methodology, celebrated investigative journalist Raymond Archer said it is worrisome if a journalist creates a crime situation only to expose it.

“News consumers will be excited about everything but as journalists, we sometimes have to take ourselves out of the news. Let’s not be the ones to create the crimes as journalists. It is important to allow people commit the crimes and as a journalist find a way to expose them. As journalists, our responsibility is to report the facts and to expose people who on their own are engaged in criminal conducts”.