Akufo-Addo does not understand the RTI Act- Sulemana Braimah on GRA-SML deal

Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ultimately acknowledged his error in withholding the full KPMG report on the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) agreement from the public, leading to its eventual release.

Braimah urged the President to better understand the exemption provisions in the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which he initially relied upon to deny the release.

“KPMG Report: The U-turn by the President isn’t surprising. It’s good they realized they were wrong in hiding behind exemptions to refuse our request. I urge the Presidency to try and have a better understanding of the exemptions provisions to avoid future U-turns,” he wrote on his X platform.

The full report was released on Wednesday, May 22, after the presidency initially withheld it, citing RTI Act exemptions. The presidency explained that despite no obligation to release the report, it was published in the spirit of transparency and openness in governance.

The request for the KPMG report was made on April 24, 2024, by the MFWA under section 18 of the RTI Act.

The President had commissioned KPMG on December 29, 2023, to investigate the GRA-SML transactions. Initially, the request was denied based on sections 5 (1) (a) and (b) (i) of the RTI Act, which exempts information prepared for or submitted to the President or Vice President.

The presidency highlighted a judicial precedent supporting the lawful denial of requests for exempt information under the RTI Act. Despite this, President Akufo-Addo opted to release the report to ensure transparency and public trust.

In a detailed press statement, the presidency reiterated the importance of understanding RTI Act provisions and emphasized that access to information laws include safeguards to protect high-level decision-making processes.

The President decided to waive the exemption privilege and publish the KPMG report fully.