Your phone cloning allegation baseless, false — National Security Ministry to conveners of '#Fixthecountry' campaign

Ministry of National Security, on Sunday, refuted allegations that it had cloned the phone of one of the conveners of #FixtheCountry Movement.

A statement signed and issued by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the phone cloning allegation was "false and baseless".

The statement was in reaction to a claim by one Oliver Barker-Vormanor, one of the convenor of the #FixtheCountry campaign on Saturday, May 8, 2021, that the National Security operatives had unlawfully cloned the android phone of one of the convenors, in order to access his private chats.

It said the convenors were invited for a meeting at the National Security Ministry, which they voluntarily attended and, therefore, the allegation of coercing them into a meeting was untrue.

Also, in consistent with standard practices, the phones of all visitors to the Ministry were kept at the reception.

"The Ministry has no basis to and did not tamper with the phones of the convenors," it stressed.

"The conveners were invited for a meeting to which they voluntarily attended. The allegation that they were coerced into a meeting is therefore untrue.

"Additionally, in instances where the Agencies of the Ministry have need to investigate the electronic devices of a person, legal methods such as a proper court warrant are employed.

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

"The public is therefore advised to disregard the said allegation," the statement stated.

An Accra High Court, last week, ordered the campaigners of the #Fixthecountry to stop their intended street protest today, May 9 in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

They, however, announced their intentions to protest on the social media platform, Twitter, and asked their followers to converge on the platform today in black attire for the protest.

They are protesting against the government over high cost of living in the country brought about by the hikes in prices of commodities such as fuel, cement, and iron rods as well as poor road network and unemployment.

—GNA