The General Manager of Golden Tulip Hotel, Paul Kavanagh, has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court after being hauled before it for failing to register with the Data Protection Commission.

Accra News’ Ama Brako Ampofo, who was in court on Wednesday, 1 March said the prosecutor, ASP Stephen Agyei, told the court that in October 2016, a report was made to the police that some institutions and organisations identified as data controllers had failed to register with the Data Protection Commission as required of them as they were still processing personal data of individuals.

ASP Agyei said the defaulting companies were served with a final notice to register or report to the police, which they failed to comply with.

The court, presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, committed Mr Kavanagh on his own plea, saying the company, not he, was guilty of the offence.

The presiding judge granted him bail of GHS4000 with one surety and asked his lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour-Awuah, to file all the various processes before the court resits on 9 March 2017.

The Data Protection Commission was established in 2012 by an Act of Parliament under Act 843 as a regulatory body for all data controllers, stakeholders and other processes which deal with data.

All institutions and individuals who collect data, use and process personal information must register with the Data Protection Commission. Act 56/95 of the Commission states that any data controller who fails to register with Data Protection Commission would be liable to sanction which would be 200 penalty units or imprisoned for not more than two years.