Right to information: Give us CCTV recordings on journalist's arrest - #FixTheCountry to police

1. The CCTV recordings of the interrogation of Caleb Kudah of Citi FM pursuant to his arrest on 11 May 2021.
2. The CCTV recordings of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM’s movements in the complex of the National Security prior to his arrest on 11 May 2021.
3. The Report of the investigation committee set up by the Ministry of National Security to investigate a report of arrest of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM on May 11, 2021, which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security of 20th May 2021.
4. The Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.
5. The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was found to have been contravened by Lt. Colonel Frank Agyeman as indicated in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.

The letter to the Ministry of National Security

Dear Sir/Madam,

Application to access information under Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989)

I write to request an access to information through the Information officer of the Ministry of National Security, established under the Civil Service (Ministries) Instrument, 2021 (E.I. 12).

In the absence of such designated officer, we direct this request to any other competent official of the Ministry.

My request is in the exercise of my rights under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989).

The following are the specific pieces of information we are asking for access to:

1. The CCTV recordings of the interrogation of Caleb Kudah of Citi FM pursuant to his arrest on 11 May 2021.

2. The CCTV recordings of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM’s movements in the complex of the National Security prior to his arrest on 11 May 2021.

3. The Report of the investigation committee set up by the Ministry of National Security to investigate a report of arrest of Mr. Caleb Kudah of Citi FM on May 11, 2021, which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security of 20th May 2021.

4. The Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was referred to in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.

5. The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures of the National Security which was found to have been contravened by Lt. Colonel Frank Agyeman as indicated in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.

6. The names and ranks of the three Police officers mentioned in the Statement by the Ministry of National Security on 20th May 2021.

7. The names, designations and roles of the individuals who effected the arrest of Mrs. Zoe Abu-Baidoo at the premises of the Citi FM.

8. The specific aspects of the Standard Operating Procedures or any other protocols of the Ministry of National Security which requires that persons effecting arrests of Ghanaian citizens in Ghana should be masked.

9. Information indicating which ethics and professional standards guiding the operational duties of the Ministry of National Security require that persons effecting arrests of Ghana citizens should be masked.

I would like the requested information in bullet points 1 and 2 to be in video format. I would like the requested information in bullet points 1 and 2 in electronic format.

The requested information can be sent to my email address at FixTheCountry@protonmail.com. However, in the event that you are unable to provide the information in electronic format, I am amenable to picking up the physical copy of the requested information; in or any other format that the Ministry prefers.

Pursuant to the Provisions of Act 989, I would be grateful to receive the requested information within 14 days of the receipt of this letter.

For any clarification to our request, kindly contact us via our email at FixTheCountry@protonmail.com or failing that on this phone number at +233208330588.

I look forward to a positive response. Yours in the Service of the Republic

Oliver Barker-Vormawor

The letter to the Inspector General of Police

Dear Sir,

Application to access information under Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989)

I write to request an access to information through the Information Officer of the Ghana Police Service in accordance with Article 21(1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989). In the absence of such designated officer, I direct this request to any other competent official of the Ministry.

While the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989) requires that the application be served on the Information Officer of the relevant institution, this application has been readdressed to the Inspector General of Police, copying the Director of the Public Affairs Directorate, following an unsuccessful attempt to serve this application on the Information officer of the Ghana Police Service, on Wednesday June 2, 2021; and on the advice of an officer of the Public Affairs Directorate, who refused to accept the application and insisted that the application be addressed to either the Inspector General of Police or the Director of the Public Affairs Directorate.

My request is in the exercise of my rights under Article 21(1)(f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 18 of the Right to Information Act, 2019, (Act 989).

The following are the specific pieces of information we are asking for access to:

1. A copy or other records of all notifications given to the Ghana Police Service regarding an intention to Demonstrate in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994. Where not all copies or records of the notifications are available, indicate the total number of all notifications to Demonstrate in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994; setting out clearly the number of copies or records of notifications which are unavailable.

2. A record, including meetings, letters, phone calls, showing all the instances where the Ghana Police Service, acting under the Public Order Act, requested the organisers to postpone the special event to any other date or to the relocate the special event; or rejected the notification to protest.

3. The total number of demonstrations in Accra since the coming into force of the Public Order Act, (Act 491) in 1994, indicating how many of the demonstrations were not preceded by a prior notification to the Police.

4. A record, including such meetings, letters phone calls, showing all the instances where an organizer, requested under the Public Order Act, (Act 491) to postpone or relocate the holding of a special, notified the police of his or her willingness to comply or not comply with that request.

5. The total number of injunctions procured by the Police to stop a demonstration planned to be held in Accra since the coming into force of the (Act 491) in 1994.

I would like the requested information in electronic format. The requested information can be sent to my email address at FixTheCountry@protonmail.com.

However, in the event that you are unable to provide the information in electronic format, I am amenable to picking up the physical copy of the requested information; in or any other format that the Ghana Police Service prefers. Pursuant to the provisions of Act 989, I would be grateful to receive the requested information within 14 days of the receipt of this letter.

For any clarification to our request, kindly contact me via my email at FixTheCountry@protonmail.com or failing that on this phone number at +233208330588.

I look forward to a positive response. Yours in the Service of the Republic

Oliver Barker-Vormawor