Accra, March 18, GNA – The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has fined the National Signals Bureau GHC 100,000 for failing to respond to information requested by a private citizen.
The Commission said the security agency’s failure to comply with the information request violated sections of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).
It said the fine, which must be paid within 14 days, would attract additional 10 percent penalty if the National Signals Bureau defaulted.
The Commission’s decision and subsequent penalty followed a petition received from an applicant on January 21, 2025.
In a document dated March 13, 2025, the RTI Commission noted that the applicant, Mr William Kofi Yirenkyi, had written to the National Signals Bureau on January 6, 2025, requesting some pieces of information from the security agency.
Mr Yirenkyi, among other things, sought to find out whether CCTVs at some specific locations at East Legon and Cantonments in Accra were operational at a particular date and time.
The applicant was said to have requested other details of the CCTV footage at the two locations, where a criminal incident was said to have occurred.
Other details of Mr Yirenkyi’s 12-point information request to the National Signals Bureau were provided in the document, however, the Commission said the applicant did not receive any response from the Bureau.
Mr Yaw Sarpong Boateng, the Executive Secretary, RTI Commission, said the Commission had written to the National Signals Bureau (NSB) to provide reasons for not responding to Mr Yirenkyi’s request.
However, he noted that the NSB had neither responded to the RTI Commission as at the date the Commission was making its final decision on the matter.
The RTI Commission explained that failure of the Bureau to respond to the Commission’s letter prompted the decision to impose the fine.
“The Commission finds that the Respondent [National Signals Bureau] is not justified in refusing to grant the Applicant access to the information requested,” it said.
“The Respondent has breached its obligation under Act 989 by failing to respond to both the Applicant’s request and the Commission’s letter. In fact, under section 70 of Act 989, the Respondent is required to assist the Commission in its investigation.”
The Commission added that a part of the information requested by Mr Yirenkyi were “exempt” under sections of the RTI Act.
However, the Director General of the NSB should take steps to provide the remaining request by Mr Yirenkyi which were not “exempt from disclosure.”
“The Director General shall ensure that access to the pieces of information requested are granted or denied the Applicant, as indicated by the Commission, not later than seven days after receipt of this decision by the Commission,” the Executive Secretary said.
“…The Applicant should rather be allowed by the National Signals Bureau to inspect or watch the CCTV footage in question within seven days of receipt of this decision by the Commission.”
Under section 43 (2) (c) of the Right to Information Act, the RTI Commission has the power to make any determination, including issuing recommendations and penalties in matters before the Commission.
Section 71 (2) of the Act also empowers the Commission to impose administrative penalties against public institutions that fail to comply with an obligation required under the Act.
GNA
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