Court of Appeal grants Nyantakyi's request to unmask Anas Aremeyaw Anas in Number 12 case

The Court of Appeal has ruled that investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas must testify in open court without his signature mask in the ongoing case of Republic v. Kwesi Nyantakyi.

In a unanimous ruling issued on Thursday, January 30, 2025, the panel—comprising Justices Anthony Oppong, Ackaah Boafo and Aboagye Tandoh—determined that Anas could not testify while concealing his face.

Justice Ackaah Boafo, delivering the judgement, emphasised the constitutional right of the accused to a fair trial, stressing that this right takes precedence over the witness protection concerns raised by the state.

The court further stated that the accused's right to see and challenge their accuser in a criminal trial was paramount.

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Additionally, the Court of Appeal criticized the High Court for reconsidering the state's request for Anas to testify in disguise, asserting that the High Court was bound by an earlier Supreme Court ruling on the issue and should not have entertained a second application on the matter.

"The doctrine of stare decisis binds lower courts to the decisions of higher courts, and as such, the High Court erred in revisiting an issue already settled by the Supreme Court," the ruling stated.

As a result of this decision, Anas, famous for his undercover investigative work, will be required to testify in court without his iconic hood in the case against former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kwesi Nyantakyi.

Nyantakyi is facing charges arising from Anas' 2018 Number 12 documentary, which uncovered alleged corruption within Ghanaian football.