The 'Anas Principle' doesn't exist in a vacuum - Kweku Baako

There have been mixed reactions on social media following the premiere of the "Galamsey Economy" documentary by Tiger Eye PI on Monday evening.

While some have applauded Anas Aremeyaw Anas for his exposé, which led to the dismissal of Charles Adu Boahen, a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, others have also expressed reservations about his methodology, accusing the journalist of "entrapment."

However, in response to some of these social media publications, veteran journalist Abdul Malik Kweku Baako claims that the ace investigative journalist's investigations are of high quality and have received international recognition around the world.

He also underscored the fact that the Code of Ethics of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) allows the "use of subterfuge and the application of covert methods/means when investigating crimes or matters of public health and security, etc."

Read below his full reaction:

"All investigative products of Tiger Eye which have been successfully prosecuted in court were subjected to strict judicial scrutiny! What more would anybody ask for relative to ethical standards and legal conduct?

The "Anas Principle" does not exist or prevail in isolation or in a vacuum. First, the so-called "entrapment" methodology gets activated after "intel" has indicated that a negative/criminal practice may be happening in a particular zone and by certain persons or groups of persons.

For instance, complaints of litigants engaged in litigation in our courts, whispering about unethical conduct of judges and officers of the judicial service, are a basis to trigger testing named and even unnamed judges and judicial officers to authenticate the veracity or otherwise of those complaints.

Whispers or allegations by "insiders" in orphanages, schools, and children's homes could trigger "covert ops" by planting "secret/unauthorized cameras" to monitor and track the allegations/whispers. It is not always the situation that "targets" are "lured" to take cash as a way of testing their integrity. In many of Tiger Eye's ops, the culprits have/had been caught in action without any enticement or inducements!

At the Tema Port, secret cameras caught some of the anti-state acts in raw fashion without anybody inducing any custom officer! They didn't know the "planted cameras" were witnesses to their anti-state activities!

Admittedly, undercover investigative journalism which has been a controversial branch of journalism since the 1890s has not been the "favourite" of many people. That is understandable. But that does not make it unacceptable and unethical! 

Indeed, our own GJA Code of Ethics allows the use of subterfuge and the application of covert methods/means when investigating crimes or matters of public health and security, etc.

Anas and Tiger Eye have no difficulty with people who critique their work and products. 

In any case, they are not infallible. So criticisms are welcome. But trust me, their work and investigative products in and out of the Ghanaian jurisdiction have been recognized as quality and productivity. And worthy of emulation.

It was not for nothing that President Obama had a word of praise for Anas on the floor of Parliament when he addressed our representatives in the House in 2009! And it is not for nothing that many reputable international organizations including the US Department of State recognize the investigative prowess of Anas and his Tiger Eye.

Personally, I am very proud of that young man and his team! I have said this many times in the last two decades or more. And I repeat it today: INTEGRITY is an iron-clad INSURANCE POLICY/ANTIDOTE to the so-called 'ENTRAPMENT', perceived or real or both!

May Ahmed Suale rest well!"