Award-winning investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has said that The Fourth Estate will soon petition the Commissioner for the Right to Information (RTI) Office.
He disclosed this an interview with Alfred Ocansey on ‘Ghana Tonight’, on January 10 after the Finance Ministry turned down an RTI request for copies of contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).
The Ministry in its letter denying the request stated that its decision not to provide the information aligns with section 11 subsections (1)(b) and (c) of the RTI Act, which provides exemption for some particular information.
“We are unable to grant access to a copy of the Upstream Petroleum Audit Contract signed in 2023 between this Ministry, Ghana Revenue Authority and the Service provider. Our position is consistent with section 11 subsections (1)(b) and (c) of the RTI Act,” the Ministry said in a letter to the Fourth Estate.
The Fourth Estate, however believes the Ministry’s decision contravenes the provisions of section 11 subsections (1)(b) and (c) of the law.
“The next step is to file an appeal with the Right to Information Commission because we believe that this is not one of the pieces of information that should be exempted from public consumption. This is a contract signed with public funds and they are committing Ghana so much,” Mr Awuni explained.
President Akufo-Addo on January 2 ordered the immediate suspension of the revenue assurance contract signed between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilization Ghana Ltd (SML) following the Fourth Estate’s revelation that SML had been awarded contracts that entitles the company to more than $100 million every year.
President Akufo-Addo also ordered an auditing firm, KPMG, to conduct an immediate audit of the transaction.
According to Manasseh Azure Awuni SML officials admitted it was not performing the advertised services that claimed to tackle under-reporting, diversion and dilution when the investigative journalists confronted them with evidence.
Those claims have since been deleted from its website.
The Managing Director of SML, Christian Tetteh Sottie, also admitted that the company’s claim that its services had saved Ghana GHS3 billion was false.
By Raphael Ghartey