The Western Region Organizer for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Abdul Ganiyu has added his voice to growing concern on the techniques investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas employ in his work.
He observes that Anas prefers to capitalize on “the act of appreciating someone after a goodwill is shown as taking bribe”.
“In all the supposed exposes by Anas you can observe one thing; the offer of money”. And it is this offer of money that Anas will do a narration over, to appeal to the mind of the general public to take it as an offer of bribe”, he said.
He noted that “this is very dangerous and disingenuous on the part of Anas because he fails to show discussions that precede the offer of money, whether right or wrong”.
“If Anas has genuine intentions of helping eliminate the ills of Ghana, I believe it is only fair that he captures such conversations as well”, he added.
Touching on the recent work of Anas on illegal small scale mining Abdul Ganiyu said “there was nowhere in the video did we see that Andy guy, who was supposed to be acting on behalf of Mr. Bissue speaking to Mr. Bissue where Mr. Bissue demanded for money for any work to be done and yet Anas wants the world to believe that the monies he gave to that Andy guy was indeed meant for Mr. Bissue”.
“How can anyone make such a conclusion? What if that Andy guy was bluffing or acting on his own behalf”, he queried.
“I listened to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP on radio and he admitted he sent the guy to give the money to Mr. Bissue. I’m no expert in video editing but if u watch the scene in Mr. Bissue’s office carefully you realize that the giving of the money and the discussion we hear clearly do not meet”.
According to him when the issue came the regional executives of the NPP in the Western Region summoned Charles Bissue for his side of the story and he insisted he is innocent.
“We do appreciate the fact some recalcitrant miners will attempt to offer money to officials at the IMCIM but we can vouch for Mr. Bissue that he is incorruptible. We say this because we [Regional Executives] have worked with him for a number of years and know his work ethics”, he testified.
“Mr. Bissue added that when the video came out the guy [the accountant] who Mr. Bissue called to fast track the document told him when the gentleman came he offered him [the accountant] some money after the work but he refused saying Mr. Bissue has warned all employees not to take anything after work has been done as if found out appropriate sanctions will be applied”.
He said “so Mr. Bissue told us that the full video will answer a lot of questions”.
He said “in the video we saw Mr. Bissue telling someone on phone to work on a document but fast track it and also pay the corresponding charges and Anas says Mr. Bissue side stepped the process”.
“Is Anas aware that Ghana has the fast track High Court”, he asked.
The regional organizer stated that “even the legal system recognizes that people will need their services to be expedited or rendered in a fast pace and so perhaps that was why the fast track high court was set up. So really, I don’t get Anas”.
He expressed surprise that some Ghanaians are using what he describes as “incomplete work of Anas to brand Mr. Bissue as a bribe taker”.
“It is unfortunate. I want Ghanaians to approach the issue with an open mind, put themselves in the position of Mr. Bissue and ask whether it will be fair for anyone to pass such judgment”.
He pleaded with relevant state agencies to expedite work on investigations into the alleged abuse of office by Mr. Bissue.
“Mr. Bissue has step aside to allow for investigations and that for me is commendable”.
He stated that “Anas says he has submitted the raw videos to the Special Prosecutor and for me that is curious”.
“Is the Special Prosecutor an investigative or prosecution body? Kweku Baako in an interview had bragged that Anas and Tiger PI had worked diligently with the CID in the past. So what has changed? Or Anas and his team do not trust the CID anymore”
Source: Daniel Kaku
