The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has fined the Ghana Police Service GH¢100,000 for refusing to comply with directives that required granting an applicant access to requested information.
The fine was imposed on the Police Service after they completely ignored a request from the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), Africa, seeking information on the status of cases involving police brutality.
The Police Service failed to respond and make a decision on the applicant’s request even after the letter was addressed to the Inspector General of Police.
In a statement issued on June 6, the commission indicated it cannot tolerate such disrespect for the Police Service.
According to the Commission, this failure to comply with the RTI Commission’s directives is a clear violation of Act 989 and an affront to the right of access to information enshrined under Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
““For this reason, an administrative penalty of GH¢ 100,000.00 is imposed on the Respondent and this shall be payable to the Commission not later than 14 days after receipt of this decision of the Commission by the Respondent,” it said.
In addition “The penalty so imposed shall attract an additional default penalty rate of l0% on the principal penalty sum of GH¢100,000.00 in the event of default for any additional 14 days thereafter.”
The imposition of a fine on the Police Service is a step towards ensuring that public authorities uphold their obligations under the RTI Act and respect the fundamental right of citizens to access information.
It is important to note that the RTI Act is a crucial tool in promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
