Court ruling against MFWA is in the public interest - Adom-Otchere

He said the presiding judge was right in her ruling by saying the request being made by the MFWA was untenable.

In an editorial on his flagship programme on the ruling, Adom-Otchere said the information the MFWA, led by its Executive Director, Sulemana Braimah are seeking is for their private use therefore they have to pay for it.

He said the modus operandi of the Foundation has always been self interest guised in public interest.

"We have known all the time that that is what they do. That is why they hide cameras in their bags. They are about themselves. They are not about any public interest because this matter of the radio stations have gone to the public tribunal, it has gone to the high courts and it has gone to parliament; what other public interest do you want to serve by finding information that is already at the public tribunal", he queried.

He averred that the judge in her ruling has exposed Sulemana Braimah and Manasseh Azure on their self-serving interest.

"She has exposed Sulemana Braimah and Manasseh Azure that this is what they do. They go out there and do things to serve their personal interests..... You have made the judge found out that it is for your personal interest. This is the time for you to repent", he advised.

The MFWA under the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2019 (Act 989) is requesting information on some radio stations from the NCA to which they were charged GHS 2,000 cedis by the Authority.

The MFWA in its suit asked the court to declare GH¢2,000 request as unlawful, unreasonable, unfair, and a “violation of Applicant’s constitutional and fundamental right to access information”. In the statement of their case, the MFWA argued that fee being charged by the NCA was exorbitant and inimical to the enjoyment of the constitutionally guaranteed Right to Information.

Good Evening Ghana host, Paul Adom-Otchere Pulse Ghana

Today, the High Court of Accra (Human Rights Division) upheld the legal submissions of the NCA and dismissed all the reliefs claimed by MFWA against NCA in respect of the former’s request for information.

The High Court presided over by Justice Gifty Agyei Addo ruled that the request for the NCA to provide an explanation for the discharge of its mandate in publishing quarterly reports was untenable and violates the Right to Information law.

The Court also held that MFWA had failed to establish any basis for the claim that its request is in the public interest; the Court upheld NCA’s contention that the public interest argument was an afterthought.

Watch Paul's take on the ruling below