The Ministry of National Security has refuted allegations that it had tempered with the phones belonging to the #FixtheCountry protest conveners. According to the ministry, it did not clone the phones of the conveners as Oliver Barker-Vormanor has alleged.

Also, the Ministry clarified that as a standard practice, it keeps all the phones of the visitors at the reception. The Minister of Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah stated this in a statement on May 9, 2021.

Moreover, the ministry pointed out that it did not force the conveners to meet with the ministry as they have alleged.

“The ministry has no basis to and did not temper with the phones of the conveners. The conveners were invited to a meeting to which they voluntarily attended. The allegation that they were coerced into a meeting is therefore untrue”.

Furthermore, the ministry explained that it employs legal methods when necessary to investigate the electronic devices of a person. Such methods, according to the ministry, include issuing of Court Warrant. The Ministry, therefore, described the allegation as baseless and false.

“The phone cloning allegation is also therefore false and baseless“.

The allegations

On Saturday, May 8, 2021, Oliver Barker-Vormawor alleged on the Newsfile that the National Security operatives were unlawfully monitoring the phone records of one of the prospective protesters. According to him, the ministers ‘tricked’ them into a meeting with sector ministers instead of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) instead. The meeting with the IGP, according to him, was to discuss their planned demonstration.

Moreover, Mr. Vormawor stated that the ministry cloned the only Android phone a member of the movement had on him when they went to the National Security Ministry. According to him, unknown phone number called ‘monitoring’ received all the calls that should have come to their phone.

“And that all the messages and conversations we were having on our platform, he could no longer assess. So, what we did was, we flashed his phone immediately.

Furthermore, Mr. Vormawor stated that the group will in the coming days put the monitoring phone number online. This, according to him, will help expose and disgrace the owner of the phone number. Also, he indicated that it will show how unsafe, intolerable, and disrespectful the ministry treated members of the group.

#FixtheCountry protest

Meanwhile, the #FixtheCountry protest conveners planned to stage a demonstration today Sunday, May 9, to express their dissatisfaction towards the government. According to the group, Ghanaians are suffering and the government needs to as a matter of urgency fix the country. The Ghana Police has, however, failed to grant permission for the protest for fear that they will not observe COVID-19 protocols.