Over 60 institutions fined GH₵5.6m for breaching RTI law
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
Corruption Watch Ghana has revealed that more than 60 public and private institutions, including some of the country’s most critical governance bodies, have been fined a combined GHS5.6 million by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) for breaching the country’s Right to Information (RTI) law.
In its investigative report released on Monday, 29 September, Corruption Watch detailed how agencies such as the Ghana Police Service, Parliament, the Judicial Service and the Attorney-General’s Department either refused or failed to provide information requested by citizens, in direct violation of the RTI Act.
According to the report titled ‘Saga over RTI: Millions Paid as Penalty,’ the Ghana Police Service alone has already paid GHS450,357 in fines, while the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) owes GHS30,000.
Other notable penalties include Parliament’s GHS53,785, an outstanding GHS100,000 for the Judicial Service, and GHS50,000 owed by the Attorney-General’s Department. The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has settled GHS200,000.
Outside the core governance institutions, the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) attracted the single largest penalty of GHS1.365 million.
The Ministry of Education has paid GHS260,000, the Lands Commission GHS150,000 and the Ghana Audit Service GHS60,000, while the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) still owes GHS100,000.
The RTIC imposed these fines through more than 70 determinations against the offending organisations.
In terms of frequency, the Ministry of Education recorded the highest number of penalties (four), followed by the Ghana Police Service with three.
Ten other entities including the Ghana Education Service (GES), Judicial Service, Lands Commission, PPA, Ministry of Energy and Department of Urban Roads each received two penalties.
Corruption Watch expressed concern that many of the institutions fined are those expected to champion transparency and information access.
“Some key governance institutions, which should promote access to information, are either refusing or failing to comply with the Right to Information (RTI) law by denying access to information requested by citizens,” the report stated.
The six-month investigation, conducted between February and July 2025, was a collaboration between Corruption Watch Ghana, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Transparency International Ghana, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and the Africa Center for International Law and Accountability.
