Joy News has dragged the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) to the Right to Information Commission.

This is a quest to have the Commission compel the GACL to release information on the following matters;

“1. A Copy of the Ghana Airports Company Limited's contract with Frontiers Health Services in respect of the Covid-19 testing at the airport.

2. A chronology of the processes that led to the selection and award of the contract in (1) above to Frontiers Health Services.
3. The reason(s) for the selection and award of the contract specified above to Frontiers Health Services.
4. The total amount of money generated from the Covid-19 testing at the airport from the inception of this agreement with frontiers till date.
5. The total amount of money that has been made by frontiers health services from the Covid-19 testing at the airport from the inception of the contract with frontiers to date.
6. The total amount of money that has been made by the government of Ghana from the Covid-19 testing at the airport from the inception of the contract with frontiers till date.”

It will be recalled that the Managing Director of GACL, Pamela Djamson-Tettey had in a September 19, letter to JoyNews indicated her inability to release the information arguing the agreement contains information exempt under Section 10 of the RTI law.

She also said the information relating to the processes leading to the award of the contract and how much had been derived from the testing is not in the possession of the GACL.

https://www.myjoyonline.com/frontiers-contract-contains-information-we-cannot-disclose-ghana-airports-company-ltd/

Joynews believes this position is contrary to the RTI law. Head of Research Raymond Acquah in the review application argues that the said information cannot be said to be broadly exempt under Section 10.

“Which part of the broad section is in question here? And should the contract contain information that is exempt under section 10, those portions of the contract could be redacted especially that factual or statistical data ought not to be said to be exempted in such circumstances.”

On processes leading to the award of the contract and the amount derived so far, he states as follows

“I also reject the view that the GACL is not in possession of the information relating to processes leading to the award of the contract.

"The GACL is a party to the contract and should be able to tell what steps it took and which processes it went through culminating in the decision to enter into the agreement with Frontiers.

GACL should also be in a position to tell how much money was derived from the testing because it has been indicated and confirmed by government officials that Government shared the amount charged to passengers with Frontiers.

The Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asaiamah on June 11, 2022, told Parliament that under the agreement signed on behalf of government by the Airports Company, $10 of the charged $150 was to be given to Parliament.

The Minister also indicated that Frontiers had paid the GACL a total of $1,157,300. See https://www.gnbcc.net/News/Item/5324

Is the Managing Director of GACL suggesting, Frontiers simply paid the money to the GACL without it verifying or having any means of determining how many passengers had come in and how much had been made in total to enable it to determine how much was due it? I find this view untenable.”

JoyNews wants the Commission to look into these matters and compel the GACL to supply the requested information.