On January 5, 2024, The Fourth Estate submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request to KPMG, seeking copies of all contracts signed with the Government of Ghana in the past decade.
However, after 14 days, KPMG declined to fulfill the request.
Consequently, The Fourth Estate lodged an appeal with the CEO of KPMG Ghana on January 26, 2024, as stipulated by section 31 of RTI Act 989.
“Except as otherwise provided in this Act, a person aggrieved by a decision of the information officer of a public institution may submit an application for internal review of that decision to the head of the public institution.”
However, over 15 days have passed since the appeal was made, and the CEO has yet to respond to it.
Section 35 of the RTI Act states, “Where the head of the public institution fails to give a decision on a request for internal review within 15 days, the head of that public institution is deemed to have affirmed the original decision of the information officer.”
Consequently, The Fourth Estate has urged the RTI Commission to enforce the release of the information from the firm.
President Nana Akufo-Addo appointed KPMG on January 3 to audit a contract between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Company Limited.
The RTI request to KPMG was prompted by concerns voiced by several Civil Society Organizations including IMANI Africa, the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, and Occupy Ghana, regarding potential conflicts of interest due to KPMG’s existing contracts with the GRA.