Anas Aremeyaw Anas Ordered By Court To Testify Without Mask In The Ongoing Case With Kwesi Nyantakyi

A High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Marie Louise Simmons, has granted an application by attorneys for former Ghana Football Association president Kwesi Nyantakyi to compel investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas to testify in the State's case against him.

Mr. Nyantakyi's attorneys requested, among other things, that Anas Aremeyaw Anas testify in open court so that their client can identify him in person.

When a citizen's liberty is at peril, it is in the interest of justice to provide them with the means to defend themselves. The witness is a crucial figure in determining the outcome of this case. The identity of the witness becomes crucial for the accused to be able to identify the witness and defend himself.

"The said witness (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) has been seen in public speaking to the media while wearing his bead masks, and this demonstrates that the said witness (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) is comfortable appearing in public while disguised," Kwesi Nyantakyi's attorneys argued in court.

After hearing the amendments, the court of Justice Marie Louise Simmons granted the application with conditions.

In chambers, the accused will be permitted to identify the witness by Anas Aremeyaw Anas removing his disguise. "This will occur each time he (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) comes to testify in the case until he is released," the judge of the highest court ruled.

In addition, the court ruled that recording phones and other devices capable of recording would not be permitted in the judge's chambers during in-camera proceedings.