Lawyer petitions RTI Commission over EOCO's failure to release details on GH¢600 million recoveries
via GhanaWeb4 min read
Legal practitioner Lawrence Kwesi Botchway Jnr has formally petitioned the Right to Information Commission, seeking a review of the Economic and Organised Crime Office's EOCO alleged failure to provide information regarding GH¢600 million in recoveries. Botchway's initial request, dated March 2, 2026, sought a detailed breakdown of the recoveries, including amounts, names of individuals or entities, dates, and the current location of the funds, which were mentioned during the President's 2026 State of the Nation Address. EOCO responded by requesting Botchway submit his Ghana Card in person, a demand he argues is unlawful, citing Section 181d of the Right to Information Act, 2019 Act 989, which only requires "proof of identity." Botchway subsequently provided a certified copy of his Voter ID card, but as of April 23, 2026, EOCO had not provided further communication. He contends that EOCO's actions constitute a "deemed refusal" under the law and that the information is of public interest, relating to funds already disclosed at the national level. Botchway is asking the Commission to declare EOCO's demands unlawful, affirm his Voter ID as sufficient proof, and order EOCO to release the requested information within seven days, potentially sanctioning the office for obstructing access.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board GoldBod, has defended the GH¢4.5 billion allocation to the institution in 2025, refuting claims of public fund siphoning. Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Gyamfi stated that Parliament lawfully approved the funds as revolving seed capital for GoldBod's operations, explicitly captured in the 2025 Budget Statement. He explained that the Ministry of Finance released the funds at the end of December 2025 after receiving necessary resources. Gyamfi questioned suggestions that the release constituted siphoning, arguing it followed due process and Ghana's public financial management framework. He criticized Abena Osei-Asare, Chairperson of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee PAC, for her comments, given her role. Gyamfi noted that GoldBod's 2025 financial statements were audited by the Auditor-General with no adverse findings and reported an operational surplus of GH¢909 million in 2025 from internally generated funds, as the government's seed capital was received at the financial year's end. He challenged the PAC Chairperson to find evidence of misappropriation in GoldBod's audited financials. Gyamfi also clarified that losses incurred by the Bank of Ghana under its Domestic Gold Purchase Programme should not be conflated with GoldBod's operations, as they are distinct entities with separate mandates.
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