KENNEDY AGYAPONG FIGHTS ANAS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday May 31, 2018

The ‘fight’ between firebrand Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, has reached an alarming dimension, with the splashing of Anas’ photographs on the social media.

Matters came to a head last week with the arrest of Kwasi Nyantakyi, Ghana Football Association (GFA) president, as an investigative piece by Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team allegedly captured the FA boss using the names of President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Bawumia and other top government officials to demand ‘bribe’ from some supposed foreign investors into the country.

Mr Nyantakyi’s arrest has sparked heated debate, bringing Anas’ investigative skills into the spotlight once again, with an accusation of entrapment.

Modus Operandi 

Mr Kennedy Agyapong, who clearly does not appear to be enthused about Anas’ modus operandi, has started questioning how the journalist - whose name apparently evokes fear in some people - conducts his investigations.

Last Tuesday, Kennedy, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, threatened to ‘expose’ Anas because he claimed the journalist has cobwebs in his cupboard and that he is not what he is being portrayed in the eyes of the public.

According to the outspoken MP, the modus operandi of Anas in soliciting information for public consumption contravenes the law.

He claimed the journalist is being spurred on by some sections of the public to destroy people’s reputations by trapping them with ‘juicy’ offers.

He called for an injunction to be placed on the scheduled premiering of Anas’ latest video about corruption in the area of football dubbed, ‘No12,’ claiming the journalist has the agenda to destroy people.

People’s Privacy 

He said that Anas will soon be intruding into people’s privacy, including bedrooms, if he and his team are not checked.

So far, Anas’ work has brought down many prominent people, including superior court judges, custom officers, players in the cocoa sector, orphanages and some private medical facilities.

"I will stick my neck on the line for Ghanaians and the innocent people he has destroyed over the years. It's too much,” the MP fired on Adom TV on Tuesday.

“The guy is not genuine. He's blackmailing people. He's extortionist, taking monies from people. He is evil. He is a blackmailer,” Kennedy Agyapong fumed.

Dares Anas 

He said, “The guy shouldn't travel. The guy should not leave this country because I will take him on one-on-one and bring the evidence out. Because he's never been fair to the people that he has destroyed and institutions that he has destroyed in this country for taking monies...We're not small boys. We are human beings. We're all Ghanaians."

The MP claimed Anas had used his investigative skills to amass wealth, including landed properties and other businesses in plush areas of Accra in particular, claiming that he is not paying taxes for his businesses.

Anas’ Photos 

Mr Kennedy Agyapong released photographs he said were those of Anas and some of his workmen’s On Net2 Television, which forms part of Kencity Media owned by him.

He queried, “Why is he hiding if he knows he is not doing anything wrong?”

Ken continued, “He uses boys called Daniel, Desmond and Ahmed. The Dubai man he used to set up the NDC people is called Ridwan. His modus operandi is to lure the people, pretend to be an investor, take you to a hotel or an apartment fitted with secret cameras while he hides in one bedroom as Ahmed communicates with him via texts about what questions to ask as they interact with whoever is asking you questions.”

The MP charged, “Go to Midas residence, Dzorwulu and take a look at the kind of building the guy and his partner, Philips, have put up, because he destroys people and makes money? Verify if a genuine journalist in this country can make that kind of money. Also, check Finis Hostel along the Prampram Road. He also owns Finis Pharma, which sells drugs.”

Kweku Baako Responds

In the ensuing heat, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr., editor-in-chief of New Crusading Guide, said nothing would stop his boy Anas from continuously exposing corruption in the country and beyond, saying that the journalist cannot be distracted.

"The NPP people out there who are attacking me and attacking Anas, they are entitled to that but they should not underestimate me or Anas or the two of us put together. They should not underrate that in terms of capability to defend ourselves and to challenge anybody who says he is a blow man, a Tarzan. We are ready and capable to withstand the pressure,” the veteran journalist said on Peace FM yesterday.

He rubbished the photographs being circulated in the media, which Ken is purporting to be Anas.

Mr Baako posited, “I can't recognise Anas or any of the boys I know who works with Anas in any of those pictures.”

Mr Kweku Baako said Kennedy Agyapong was fighting desperately and making baseless arguments. According to him, the MP should have reported to the rightful institution to battle out his case based on Anas’ football investigation rather than just making “meaningless allegations” on radio and television to cure his mischief.  “ . . I’ve heard Ken Agyapong say he met him (Kwesi Nyantakyi) yesterday (Tuesday) for about 10 minutes or so and Kwesi gave him his side of the story and all that and that appears to have energized him in his attacks on Anas... So you ask yourself where and how did the political twist come into it? It’s a very important question,” Mr. Baako posed. He said nobody asked him questions about politics or political executives or the political establishment, but he introduced it himself. “ . . It came from the man you claim was set up. The man you claim was set up is the one who introduced the political twist by influence peddling...,” Kweku Baako indicated yesterday. He said he could not fathom why Kennedy Agyapong was claiming that Kwesi Nyantakyi was set up just because he feels the method used was not right.