Judge in Anas’ case did his constitutional duty but went to the extreme on matters not before him – Lawyer

Private legal practitioner, lawyer Tachie Antiedu has reacted to the judgement in the defamation suit filed against Kennedy Agyapong, the MP for Assin Central.

The lawyer and author stated that the ruling delivered by the judge and some things he declared, as well as the case brought before the court were far from each other.

He explained that there was no prosecution against investigative journalist Anas Atemeyaw Anas.

“No charges were brought against Anas. If you watched the video to make a decision, it should have ended there. But, with all of the court’s comments claiming it was an orbiter-dicta, who asked you to go beyond the scope of the case? That is why you might be surprised when you read the verdict.

"However, the general issue has been resolved. However, what the judge said was completely unrelated to the main issue before the court. But what I mean is that the judge fulfilled his constitutional obligation. The verdict is there. If you disagree with it, you can file an appeal in court”, he indicated.

He told the host, Kwabena Agyapong that the judge reached some conclusions based on the videos presented by the defendant before moving on to a more distant matter.

"That’s where I get a little uneasy. Then there was the question of whether or not the murder had been proven”, he added.

He stated that if Anas is dissatisfied with the outcome, he should file an appeal because it was the evidence presented to the court and what the plaintiff was able to prove, as well as how the defence proved their case.

He deemed Anas’s summoning of the judge unnecessary, emphasising that he should appeal if he is not satisfied.

He stated that the outcome of the case will impact Anas and what he stands for and that his sole focus on this matter is to get this matter appealed.