Embattled High Court Judge, Justice Utter Dery, has moved his unwavering campaign against the work of investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, from the court to five state agencies.
The High Court judge wants the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to investigate the mask-wearing journalist for what he says are various breaches of the law.
According to him, Anas’ private investigative firm, Tiger Eye PI does not exist, and hence all the activities conducted in the name of the company border on criminality.
In all the complaints to the five state agencies, Justice Dery says he “caused a search to be conducted in the Registrar-General’s Department and the results reveal that there is no company registered in Ghana by name Tiger Eye PI”.
These investigations, the most recent one being revelations of bribery and corruption among some members of the bench, were conducted for profit “when Anas Aremeyaw Anas is not competent to conduct the said investigations and he benefited immensely from it.”
To the IFC he states:
“Tiger Eye PI, being a non-existent company, the investigations conducted by Anas Aremeyaw Anas are therefore illegal. Anas Aremeyaw Anas is paid for these services through Tiger Eye PI account with Zenith Bank, thus concealing this illegal activities, and benefits.
“These public institutions engage the services of Anas Aremeyaw Anas as a result of his fraudulent representation that Tiger Eye PI is a lawfully registered company in Ghana and licensed by the Minister of Interior to conduct private investigations. As a result, these public institutions paid Anas Aremeyaw Anas through the fake company Tiger Eye PI to disguise the illegality of the source of the money. That is money laundering.
“Accordingly, I am submitting this complaint to you to investigate Anas Aremeyaw Anas, for money laundering, tax evasion, causing financial loss to the State etc.”
To the GRA he makes the following submissions:
“Tiger Eye PI, being a non-existent company, the investigations conducted by Anas Aremeyaw Anas are therefore illegal. Anas Aremeyaw Anas is paid for these services through Tiger Eye PI account with Zenith Bank, thus concealing these illegal activities, and benefits.
“These public institutions engage the services of Anas Aremeyaw Anas as a result of his fraudulent representation that Tiger Eye PI is a lawfully registered company in Ghana and licensed by the Minister of Interior to conduct private investigations. As a result, these public institutions paid Anas Aremeyaw Anas through the fake company Tiger Eye PI to disguise the illegality of the source of the money. That is money laundering.
“Accordingly, I am submitting this complaint to you to investigate Anas Aremeyaw Anas, for tax evasion.”
To the police service he presents the following arguments:
Anas’ numerous investigations were conducted illegally because by virtue of the Police Service.
(Private Security Organizations) Regulations, 1992 (LI 1571) only organizations or entities licensed by the Minister of Interior could lawfully carry out private investigations.
“So Tiger Eye PI, being a non-existent company could not obtain a licence from the Minister of Interior to carry out private investigations.
“Furthermore, the Supreme Court in its judgment on Thursday, 27th October 2016 confirmed that Tiger Eye PI does not exist as a company under the laws of Ghana.
“Accordingly, I am requesting you to investigate Anas Aremeyaw Anas for fraud, tax evasion, causing financial loss to the state and money laundering among others.”
Complaint to SSNIT
Justice Dery says because Tiger Eye PI does not exist, it follows that Anas Aremeyaw Anas employs individuals to run his fake company without paying their contributions to SSNIT.
“This constitutes an offence under section 83(1) (a)&(g) of the Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766), which provides as follows:
“’A person who fails or refuses to register any establishment owned or set up by that person or to register any worker under this Act….is liable on summary conviction….to a fine not exceeding the amount of contribution and penalty owed to the Trust or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both”.
He wants to SSNIT’s swift action.
Bank of Ghana
Again basing his argument on the premise that Tiger Eye PI does not exist in law, he said banks by would only open an account for a company upon production of its certificate of incorporation and certificate to commence business, “so if Tiger Eye PI is not a company registered under the laws of Ghana, how was it able to open and operate an account with Zenith Bank (Ghana) Ltd.”
Furthermore, he recalls, the Supreme Court in its judgment on Thursday, 27th October 2016 confirmed that Tiger Eye PI does not exist as a company under the laws of Ghana.
He has therefore requested the central bank to investigate the circumstances under which a non-existent company, Tiger Eye PI, was able to operate an account with, stating that such an investigation would be in the interest of the public.
Anas earned the wrath of Justice Dery when the High Court Judge was cited among 12 High Court judges, 20 magistrates, and more than 80 court clerks caught on video allegedly taking bribes to influence the outcome of various cases in court.
So far about 20 judges have been dismissed, while investigations are ongoing in the cases involving the rest.
Since Justice Dery’s came up among the biggest bribery scandal to hit the Judicial Service, he has not rested, fighting tooth and nail to discredit the Anas, his firm and his work, but without success.
He recently filed an international suit with the Court of Justice of ECOWAS in Abuja, Nigeria, over the same matter.
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