Renown Ghanaian undercover investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has defended his style of journalism as "the most appropriate" for African countries facing institutional challenges and plagued by corruption.
Mr Anas, who was addressing participants at the 13th African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday, said his personal belief is that "extreme remedies are the most appropriate for extreme diseases", apparently alluding to the endemic corruption and system failure in several African countries.
"I do naming and shaming which most of you may be uncomfortable with, but it has worked for me, " Mr Anas said from the podium, with his signature mask covering his face.
"My job is not to publish fantastic stories that you will read and smile in your bedroom. My duty is to the society, and not to any particular person."
He said undercover journalism is the last resort for investigative journalism.
He showed videos of some of his recent investigative works to the audience which included the publisher, and the editor-in-chief of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olurunyomi and Musikilu Mojeed respectively.
The undercover work he did at a psychiatric hospital in Ghana was among the videos showed to conference participants.
"It was easier to buy cocaine and other hard drugs right in there than elsewhere in Ghana," Mr Anas said of the hospital.
"I was there at the hospital as an undercover journalist. How else would I have done this story? Go with a conventional camera and stand in front of the hospital, saying 'Please, I want to take a video of this place'?"
"I'm proud of my method of investigative journalism."
Mr Anas also showed a video of his investigation exposing public officials in Ghana stealing and selling food aids meant for the poor in the country, and one which he busted a fake medical doctor in Nigeria, as well as his most recent investigation which exposed bribery and corruption in African football.
He talked about the risk involved in his job and mentioned an instance where he said he almost got killed in the middle of an investigation.
He said it was insincere for anyone to accuse him of using "entrapment" in his investigation.
"Entrapment has always been the song of those caught. You come into my hotel room, you get money from me. How do I entrapped you?
"When BBC and Aljazeera do an undercover, you think it's okay. But when we take undercover to Africa, you think it's not okay, " Mr Anas said.
Mr Anas said he has a team that works with him, but said he is the only person who wears a mask.
He said he chose to wear a mask because he "wanted to live to tell the story again and again".
"They will always want to unmask me, but I try as much as possible to cover my identity."
Mr Anas praised PREMIUM TIMES for its investigative journalism in Nigeria and Africa, and said he was collaborating with the paper and other Nigerian papers to deepen investigative journalism in the country.
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