Terrible NLA-KGL Deal: Government indulges in merry-go-round over release of interministerial committee report

The government is engaging in a merry-go-round over the release of a copy of the report of an interministerial committee constituted by President John Mahama to review contracts between the National Lottery Authority (NLA) and KGL Technology Limited. This follows a request by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) through Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) Law.

The MFWA initially wrote to the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, requesting a copy of the full report of the committee.

The interministerial committee, which was established in December 2025, was led by the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Srem-Sai and the Ministry of Finance.

However, in its response, the Attorney General’s Office said it did not have custody of the report.

“Accordingly, you are advised to direct your request to the Office of the President, which is the appropriate institution in possession of the information sought,” the Attorney General’s Office stated.

The MFWA submitted the same request to the Office of the President. The presidency could not provide the document.

In a letter signed by the Minister for Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, the Presidency directed the MFWA to the Ministry of Finance.

“Having reviewed your request, you are advised to direct same to the Ministry of Finance, which is the appropriate Ministry with oversight responsibility and custody of the information sought,” the letter stated.

The Minister further advised the MFWA to “liaise” with the Ministry of Finance for the necessary assistance and consideration.

Acting on this directive, the MFWA wrote to the Information Officer of the Ministry of Finance on July 1, 2026, requesting the same information. As of July 30, 2026, the Ministry had not responded.

Under Section 23(5) of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), the failure of a public institution to determine an application within 14 days is deemed a refusal of the request.

“Where an information officer fails to determine an application within fourteen days after the application is received by the public institution, the application is deemed to have been refused, and the applicant has the right to seek redress under sections 31 to 39.”

The MFWA has consequently petitioned the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, to exercise his authority as head of the institution and ensure the release of the requested report.

As of the time of publication, the Minister of Finance had not responded to the appeal.

Background

President Mahama directed the establishment of the interministerial committee in December 2025 following a series of investigative reports by The Fourth Estate, the public interest and accountability journalism project of the MFWA.

The investigations raised concerns about licensing agreements between the NLA and KGL Technology Limited, arguing that the arrangements were depriving the state of significant revenue from lottery operations.

The committee was tasked with examining the legal basis, scope, duration, and financial terms of the contracts. It was also expected to assess the compliance of the agreements with the 1992 Constitution, the Public Procurement Act, and the National Lottery Act.

After several months of work, the committee concluded that although the NLA-KGL arrangements were not illegal, they were not financially beneficial to the State. Subsequently, President Mahama directed that the agreements be renegotiated to ensure that the State derives appropriate financial benefits from its lottery business.

However, the full report has not been made public.