Court of Appeal rules Anas Aremeyaw Anas must testify without mask in Kwesi Nyantakyi trial

The Court of Appeal has ruled that investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas must testify in open court without his trademark mask in the ongoing case of Republic v Kwesi Nyantakyi.In a unanimous decision on Thursday, January 30, 2025, Justices Anthony Oppong, Ackaah Boafo, and Aboagye Tandoh held that Anas could not conceal his identity while testifying.Justice Ackaah Boafo, delivering the ruling, stated that an accused persons constitutional right to a fair trial outweighed the witness protection concerns raised by the state.The court also criticised the High Courts decision to reconsider a state request for Anas to testify in disguise, ruling that a previous Supreme Court decision on the same matter bound it.This means Anas, known for his undercover investigative work, must appear in court without his signature hood while testifying in the case against former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi.The former GFA boss is facing charges from Anas 2018 Number 12 documentary, which exposed alleged corruption in Ghanaian football.Nyantakyi lost all his football roles, including his positions on the FIFA Executive Council and as CAF Vice President, following the documentary.He was initially banned for life by FIFA, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later reduced the ban to 15 years. Read Full Story