Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr says if it turns out that the Mills’ administration truly bypassed the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), Criminal Investigative Department (CID), National Security Secretariat and engaged the services of a private investigative journalist, then it begs the question whether government has lost confidence in its security agencies or not.
“You have the BNI,…and so many security organisations and this is precisely what they are to do. So if you have a situation where Government bypasses its own establishments to engage a journalist, it does raise a question of whether Government has lost confidence in its security services,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with Shamima Muslim on Citi Eye Witness News, the clearly flabbergasted senior journalist questioned the decision to rely on Anas as the lead investigator saying from a purely partisan political point of view, another issue will be raised about the credibility of the newspaper.
“If you come to consider the paper that Anas Aremeyaw Anas works for, and if you look at the issue from a purely partisan political point of view, another issue will be raised about the credibility of the newspaper which is not on your side when you are going for an election”.
Government, on Monday, February 07, 2011, admitted that a State institution sponsored Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ “Enemies of the Nation” video, which exposed bribery and corruption at the Tema Port.
Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who disclosed this to PeaceFM News, also revealed that the undercover cocoa smuggling investigations undertaken at the Elubo Border was also sponsored.
The outspoken social commentator opined that in as much as NDC activists might question the wisdom in such a move by government, national interest should override all other considerations.
“Whatever people say, this investigation is in the national interest, it has exposed weaknesses in State institutions, and will lead to a correction of some lapses…Then there is another angle about our ethics. But if it is in the national interest, then we can forget about the ethical considerations and so on…Personally, I think that the national interest should supersede all other interests. My conclusion is that anything which contributes to the fight against corruption ought to be seen as being in the national interest,” he stated.