Why do you want to see Anas' face - Kweku Baako asks Ndebugri

Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr, has slammed legal practitioner John Ndebugri for insisting that investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas be made to unveil himself before the committee instituted to probe allegations of bribery and corruption in the judiciary.

Following his petition to the Chief Justice to impeach some 34 judges and magistrates who were captured on video for allegedly taking brides and the institution of the investigative committee to analyse the evidence brought to it by Anas, the investigative journalist who is also the key witness in the proceedings has been appearing before it masked.

An act, lead counsel for the 14 circuit court judges and magistrates indicted in the video, Mr John Ndebugri, has described as unfair and further accused the committee of bending the rules to favour Anas.

He said on News File Saturday morning that he would not cross-examine Anas if he continued to appear before the committee masked.

“Even chiefs are forced to remove their chieftaincy head-dress or crown and persons wearing dark glasses removed them when they appear in court so that their demeanour can be determined - whether you are lying or not. It is unfair… it is just like bending the rules to please one person. I will not cross-examine a hooded persons, I am not participating in the dubious process,” Mr. Ndebugri said.

But Mr Baako who was not pleased by the Mr Ndebugri’s stance questioned the purpose for which he [Ndebugri] was seeking for Anas to be unmasked.

“Those who are seeking to look at the face of Anas for whatever purpose, what are those judges who claim Anas came to them with his face, what are they doing saying about their faces and bodies in the video collecting those monies?” he asked.

According to him, although it had been the established practice for witnesses to appear bared, “We are not in ordinary times”, adding that, “established practice does not even allow live recording of court proceedings but established practice was put aside.”

Mr Baako advised Mr Ndebugri and his clients to be more concerned over the substance before the committee, saying, “he raised the point of demeanour…whether that is more substantive than the evidence shown in the video is another question.”