Anas will testify against Nyantakyi in open court but disguised in a mask - Court rules

The High Court (Criminal Division) has ruled that investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas would testify in an open court, while masked, in the criminal case against former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwasi Nyantakyi. 

The court however says Mr. Nyantakyi “will have the opportunity to see his face in chambers before such testimony.” 

This comes after lawyers for Mr. Nyantakyi filed a motion, seeking among others, for their client to be allowed to see the face of Anas, so identifies him in person, and also for Anas to testify in an open court unmasked.  

The High Court in its ruling further said it deemed it in the interest of justice, to grant a person whose liberty is at stake, the need facilities to defend themselves.

“It is in the interest of justice where the liberty of a citizen is at stake that they are given the needed facility to defend themselves. The witness is a principal character in the determination of this case. The identity of the said witness becomes crucial to allow the accused to identify the said witness and be able to defend him," Justice Marie Louise Simmons said. 

But the court rejected parts of Mr. Nyantakyi's application seeking to have Anas testify in an open court without his mask. To this, the court noted that, since Anas is comfortable appearing in public in his beads as a mask, there is therefore nothing wrong with him testifying in public with his mask on. 

In November 2022, the Supreme Court quashed an earlier ruling by the High Court allowing the investigative journalist, who is also the state's principal witness in the matter, to testify in-camera.

Background

Former 1st Vice President of CAF, Kwasi Nyantakyi is standing trial with Abdullai Alhassan who are facing three charges; fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and fraud for their roles in the Number 12 documentary, that was premiered by Tiger Eye PI, a company Anas owns.