Government To Equip Security Agencies To Fight Cyber-crime

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has declared plans by the government to roll out some policies which will see to the equipping of the country's law enforcement agencies, and the training of crime officers to enable them address issues of cyber-crime.

The President, speaking at the opening of the National Cyber-Security Week, and the inauguration of the National Cyber-Security Inter-Ministerial Advisory Council on Monday, mentioned the training of all involved in the arrest and prosecution of criminals as high on his government's agenda.

“Criminal justice response to cyber-crime is another area of importance. Training for our judges, prosecutors and investigators, especially on cyber-crime legislation and enforcement provisions, is a priority for government. We will enforce existing legislation as we seek to review and update it if necessary,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo, attributing the decision to the changing face of crime globally, also stated plans by the government to equip the country's law enforcement agencies with state of the art ICT equipment to enable them tackle head-on, the growing canker.

“We also intend to improve the forensic capabilities of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and other law enforcement agencies, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to enable officers to investigate and prosecute cyber-facilitated crimes.”

At the launch of the National Cyber-Security Week, the National Cyber Security Adviser, Albert Antwi-Boasiko, revealed to journalists at a media encounter that the document for the ratification of the Convention on Cyber-crime, also known as the Budapest Convention, would be completed by the end of the year.

According to him, the document for ratification was at Cabinet, awaiting approval, and is expected to be ratified by parliament by the end of 2017.

The National Cyber-Security Week, is on the theme: “Securing Ghana's Digital Journey” and is expected to create a platform for cyber security vendors and service providers to showcase their services to the public at the Accra International Conference Centre and the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence.