This is according to the Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako.
The veteran journalist said Anas and his team have often provided the unedited videos of their works to the appropriate investigative bodies and will not hesitate to do same for their latest documentary on illegal mining.
“In principle, I have nothing against the government requesting for the raw footage of the investigative piece done by Anas and his Tiger Eye PI. It is not an unusual request. It has happened on many occasions,” Mr. Baako said on Cifi FM’s Eyewitness News.
“When the judges’ matter came up, in filing the petition to the President as well as the Chief Justice, the full footage, the unedited version was given to the appropriate judicial authorities as part of their investigations of the judges that were implicated.”
Anas’ latest exposé – titled “Galamzey Fraud Part 1” – was premiered on Wednesday, capturing security personnel and government appointees who are sabotaging the anti-galamsey campaign.
A presidential staffer and Secretary to the Inter-Ministerial Committee on illegal Mining (IMCIM), Charles Cromwell Bissue, has been fingered in the exposé.
In the video, Mr. Bissue emerged as a facilitator for a company seeking to circumvent laid down processes to be given clearance for its mining operations.
The presidential staffer is seen receiving wads of cash to facilitate the speedy 'clearance' of a mining company in order that it can begin mining as soon as possible.
He is also heard in the video instructing his subordinates over the phone to "fast track" the processing of the company's documents.
Kweku Baako said the custom of providing unedited footages to the appropriate authorities is not new, adding that same was done after the premier of the explosive “Number 12” documentary.
“When #Number12 came up and the president decided to report Nyantakyi’s conduct to the CID relative to the influence peddling, the CID requested to initially watch the raw footage and that was obliged. There were others like the cocoa smuggling story….Because Anas and TigerEye have always had no difficulty in meeting such request, and have proceeded to provide those evidence to the appropriate agencies, I’m sure he will go according to the tradition, history and convention of TigerEye when it comes to issues of public interest. I’m sure Anas and Tiger will oblige to the request from government,” he added.
This comes after Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the government will examine the unedited footage of the exposé.
Addressing a press conference in Accra, the Minister said investigations into the raw unedited footage of the documentary will determine the fate of persons implicated.