I was wrong on BBC collaborating with Anas – Kweku Baako

The Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul-Malik Kweku Baako Jnr. says he was wrong in saying that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) collaborated with ace investigative Journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in his recent expose’ on the rot in Ghana Football.

He said he should be held responsible for the misrepresentation. “So I was wrong. If there is a mistake and a fault it is mine, and I accept responsibility for what I put out there. And if people got deceived, I apologise”.

“If there is any misrepresentation, Kweku Baako takes full responsibility. I just said so because I thought it was the truth I was putting out. It turned out that mine was a misrepresentation”, he said.

Mr Baako rendered the apology on Accra-based Peace FM’s morning show “kokrokoo” on Wednesday.

BBC's Response

Mr Baako had said Anas' latest work on sports corruption which aired early June, in Accra and also screened across the country is a joint project between Tiger-Eye PI and the BBC.

But the BBC has denied any such collaboration.

The BBC said among other things that it did not participate or sanction the undercover work.

They said they only wrote a documentary ‘Betraying the Game’,  out of Anas' work after accepting that it was an ethical job.

Here is what the BBC said.

‘Contrary to any reports or rumours you may have heard or seen prior to publication stating 'Number 12' was a product of a collaborative work by the BBC and the journalist (Anas Aremeyaw Anas) this was not the case,’ the BBC said in a statement on Monday.

‘The BBC documentary, ‘Betraying the Game’, broadcast after ‘Number 12' was first put into the public domain, was an independent and impartial work and a report about Mr Anas’ investigation.

‘The BBC played no part whatsoever in his investigation and has never sought to suggest otherwise.

‘Mr Anas is not a BBC journalist; we did not work with him during his investigation or commission him to carry out this investigation.’

I am not Perfect

In response, Mr Baako said he is human hence not perfect, explaining that;  the reason why I said so was because the people who were dealing with Anas, three of them that I have known for more than 30 years, 40 years were BBC people. Apparently they have left BBC but they were part of the technical team.

He added that there was a level of arrangement and collaboration among them that was why BBC aired the documentary, "But I had gone ahead to the extent to say that it was a full collaboration. I was wrong".

He was however quick to add that Anas had said on many occasions that the project was an individual work and not collaboration with BBC, hence “Sulemana’s communication with BBC was belated because Anas had already cleared the air.. About a couple of weeks ago Anas was on air pointing out clearly that BBC did not sponsor his project".