Parliament seeks more time on Dr Bryan Acheampong's US Air Force records

Parliament has requested an extra week to respond to a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking clarity on the United States Air Force service records of Dr Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi and former Minister for Food and Agriculture.

The request for an extension follows the expiration of the statutory 14-day window within which public institutions are mandated to respond to information requests, as stipulated under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).

RTI request on US Air Force service records

The RTI application, filed in November by a Ghanaian citizen, sought to determine whether Parliament had received and archived documents relating to the former minister’s stated service in the US Air Force from 2005 to 2009.

During his vetting before the Appointments Committee on 20 February 2023, Dr Acheampong declined to publicly disclose the rank with which he enlisted and the rank at discharge.

He insisted that the details were of a sensitive nature and would only be made available to the leadership of Parliament, along with what he described as his “honourable discharge certificate.”

Repeated questions from MPs, including Kwame Agbodza and Cassiel Ato Forson, did not elicit a definitive response. Bryan Acheampong maintained that he would submit the documents privately to the committee.

Parliament’s Explanation

According to information available, the Clerk to Parliament has informed the applicant, identified as “Ticket Number 59”, that the records are not readily accessible. He explained that any such documentation would have been submitted during the 8th Parliament, whose term ended on 6 January 2025.

With a new Appointments Committee Chairman now in place under the 9th Parliament, the Clerk requested additional time to trace the documents. He has therefore asked for one more week to provide a final response.

Applicant’s expectations

In the RTI request, the citizen asked Parliament to confirm:

1. Whether it received details of Dr Bryan Acheampong’s enlistment and discharge ranks from the US Air Force.

2. Whether an honourable discharge certificate or any related documents were submitted.

3. If so, for certified copies or sufficient extracts from those documents.

The applicant argues that the information is of significant public interest, given the former minister’s reliance on national security grounds to avoid public disclosure during his vetting.

While awaiting Parliament’s response, the applicant has also petitioned the United States Embassy in Accra to verify Acheampong’s service claims. Meanwhile, separate inquiries are reportedly underway regarding aspects of the former minister’s past business dealings.

These developments come amid growing public scrutiny of the former Minister for Agriculture, who previously served as Deputy Minister for National Security