Ghana Police Service fails to appear at RTI mediation hearing with William Kofi Yirekyi

The Ghana Police Service failed to attend a mediation hearing convened by the Right to Information Commission (RTI) on March 10, 2025, to address multiple complaints filed against the Service by William Kofi Yirekyi, the Founder and Leader of the Alliance for Restoration of Civil Rights.

The hearing, scheduled in accordance with Section 44(c) of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), was intended to facilitate negotiations over three pending requests for information submitted by Yirekyi.

However, neither the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, nor any representative from the Ghana Police Service honored the invitation.

Speaking after the session, Yirekyi expressed disappointment with the police's absence, particularly criticizing the IGP for what he described as a blatant disregard for the law.

“We came here today for the hearing that the Right to Information Commission requested us to have with the Inspector General of Police, but when we arrived, neither he nor his representatives showed up.

"This continues to demonstrate that the IGP refuses to abide by the directives of the RTI Commission,” he stated.

He further clarified that his requests were not an attack on the police but rather an effort to exercise his right to access information.

He urged the police to be more responsive to information requests.

According to Yirekyi, his pending requests include:

Three police investigation reports related to armed robbery cases that have yet to be addressed.

An arrest report regarding his own detention and subsequent release, for which he seeks clarification on why the charges were dropped.

The RTI Commission, after deliberations, instructed Yirekyi to submit a written petition detailing the exact nature of the information being requested.

The Commission also assured him that it would write to the Inspector General of Police to demand an explanation for the police’s absence at the hearing and to facilitate the release of the requested information.

AM/KA

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