Member of Parliament (MP) for Old Tafo North, Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has publicly accused the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice of fabricating and concealing official documents that could expose political interference in the justice system.
His statement follows a failed months-long attempt to obtain copies of memos allegedly sent by the Prosecution Department recommending the discontinuation of certain high-profile cases.
“On February 12, 2025, I submitted a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, seeking access to memos allegedly sent from the Prosecution Department to the former Attorney-General recommending the discontinuation of certain high-profile cases”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo North
Under the RTI Act, 2019 (Act 989), public institutions are required to respond to such requests within 14 days. However, according to Hon. Assafuah, no reply was received. Citing Section 31 of the Act, he then filed for an internal review on March 3, 2025. Again, his request was ignored.
Left with no administrative option, he filed a formal complaint to the Right to Information Commission, the independent statutory body responsible for enforcing compliance with the RTI Act. In a written response dated April 14, 2025, the Commission acknowledged receipt of the complaint but stated that the information requested was “classified” and therefore inaccessible under the provisions of the law.
The issue took an unexpected turn during the vetting of Justice Srem Sai, who was nominated as Deputy Attorney-General. During the February 27 vetting session, Srem Sai admitted – under oath – that he had reviewed the same memos in his personal capacity prior to assuming any official position within the Attorney-General’s office.
“So the question every Ghanaian must now ask is: How does a private individual access what is now deemed ‘classified, while a sitting Member of Parliament is denied that same access?'”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo North
Hon. Assafuah recounted in his statement how this admission by Justice Srem Sai raises serious questions about the integrity of the classification process. He questioned what appeared to be the existence of a double standard especially when he was acting under the RTI Act and yet still was denied access to the documents.
Legal Inconsistencies or Deliberate Deceit?
The MP laid out three possible explanations, all of which he said are deeply troubling. The first is that the memos were never actually classified, and the Attorney-General’s office is simply using the label to withhold politically sensitive information.
The second is that if they are classified, then Justice Srem Sai may have accessed them illegally and must be held accountable. The third and most serious allegation is that the memos never existed at all.
“If the memos never existed, and the Attorney-General fabricated their existence, then this is not just deception – it is a blatant lie told to Parliament and the Ghanaian people”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo North
He warned that this situation cannot be dismissed as routine bureaucratic delay. Instead, he described it as “a deliberate affront to transparency, an insult to the rule of law, and a betrayal of public trust.”
According to the MP, the Attorney-General must now publicly confirm whether the memos existed. If they did, he must explain why they are considered classified for some people and not for others. And if they did not, he must admit to lying and issue a public apology.
“This is not mere bureaucratic red tape. This is a deliberate affront to transparency, an insult to the rule of law, and a betrayal of public trust”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo North
He asserted that however the matter was viewed, someone was lying. In closing, Assafuah issued a stern conclusion about the entire matter.
“And that is my firm conclusion: The memos never existed. The Attorney-General fabricated them. And Ghanaians deserve not just answers but an apology”
Hon. Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo North
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