BBC denies collaboration with Anas on 'Number 12'

Contrary to claims by the Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul-Malik Kwaku Baako that the latest investigative piece by his mentee, Anas Aremeyaw Anas was a collaboration between the Tiger Eye PI and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), MyNewsGH.com has intercepted communication between the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa and the BBC which suggests Kweku Baako’s assertion is inaccurate, if not untruthful.

Mr Baako said the investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest work on sports corruption which was shown on June 6, 2018, in Accra and screened across the country is a joint project between Tigereye and the BBC. He said this on Peace FM Kokrokoo and on Good Morning Ghana.

Mr Baako even said the BBC was disappointed Mr Nyantakyi was arrested when the president made a report to the Police over the confidential documentary.

“Indeed I can tell you that the BBC is disappointed that this happened. I was disappointed, Anas disappointed because none of us knew that there was going to be a response, I got to know after the event had taken place.” Mr Baako had said.



Speaking on PEACE FM’s morning show Kokrokoo on 30th May 2018, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako noted that the hottest Anas exposé is “a joint Tiger Eye – BBC project. So if anyone succeeds in placing any form of injunction on this particular project on Wednesday [June 6], it will be shown outside the country on BBC. This is an exercise in futility”

“If they don’t want us to show it here [in Ghana], we know where to seek that relief,” he added.

But the official communication which is an email from the BBC to Sulemana Braimah of the MFWA has denied any such collaborations.

The email said among other things that the BBC has no knowledge of the Number 12 video and did not participate or sanction it as rumours may have suggested.

They said they only wrote a report documentary ‘Betraying the Game’, which is an ‘independent’ and ‘impartial’ report on an investigative work by Anas, adding that they did not sanction or sponsor it.

Here is what the BBC has to say regarding Anas' number 12 collaboration:



‘Contrary to any reports or rumours you may have heard or seen prior to publication stating 'Number 12' was a product of a collaborative work by the BBC and the journalist (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) this was not the case,’ the BBC said in a statement on Monday.

‘The BBC documentary, ‘Betraying the Game’, broadcast after ‘Number 12' was first put into the public domain, was an independent and impartial work and a report about Mr Anas’ investigation.

‘The BBC played no part whatsoever in his investigation and has never sought to suggest otherwise.

‘Mr Anas is not a BBC journalist, we did not work with him during his investigation or commission him to carry out this investigation.’