Since the story' of the bribe-taking judges broke out like a sudden storm, with Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Ghana's globally renowned investigative journalist, exposing some 34 judges who perverted justice for money, goats and yam tubers, many Ghanaians have been wondering what manner of man is this crack newshound.
Weekend Sun wondered about that too in an interview he gave us early this year in which he hinted that he and his Tiger Eye team were on a story that would shake Ghana to its foundation.
We never had an inkling he was talking about a tsunami that would sweep through the country's temple of justice, and blow those desecrating it with filthy lucre!
Well, that is not the news. The news is, during that interview, we asked Anas to tell us some of his personal safety valves or mechanisms, because of the kind of job he does. Pointedly, we asked him how he has managed to mask his identity all these years without haying to be detected by prying eyes.
He answered our questions with tins bombshell:
"I sleep at seven different places," he said. "... because of the nature of my work."
This reporter didn't allow the matter to end there. He pushed it further, asking if those houses or places were owned by him.
"These are security issues that I can't disclose," he said categorically. "But I sleep at seven places and I have keys to all those places.
(And), depending on what is happening, I decide to choose where to go to. It's all part of the security backup and I don't have access to the place alone; My key staff also have access to them."
To have a full appreciation of the encounter, where we also asked about how rich Anas was, and how was he relating to money, we reproduce the excerpts below:
Talking about money, I have had people say that Anas is stupendously rich... (Cuts in...) I don't know what they define as 'rich". I can't tell. But I can afford to eat in the morning, afternoon and night. I think, that is okay. Rich? Some people define it as having big mansions...
So how many mansions do you have?
I don't understand that question.
How many houses do you have?
I sleep in seven different places.
Why?
Because of the nature of my work.
seven places owned by you?
These are security issues that I can't disclose, But I sleep at seven places and 1 have keys to all those places. Depending on what is happening, I choose where to go to. It's all part of the security backup; and I don't have access to the place alone. My key staff also has access to them.
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