NDC will file an RTI request for more details on EC’s missing BVDs – Dr Omane Boamah

The National Democratic Congress will file a Right to Information request to the Electoral Commission (EC) asking to be provided details about the missing laptops and Biometric Verification Devices (BVD).

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, the NDC Director of Elections, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, said the EC was not committed to ensuring that key stakeholders know the full extent of the alleged theft.

As a result, Dr Omane Boamah said that the assurances of the EC that the theft will not pose a threat to the integrity of the 2024 general elections cannot be trusted.

“The EC’s attempt to lie to the good people of Ghana that BVDs weren’t missing itself was also disingenuous when in actual fact at IPAC, it became obvious that even some BVDs are also missing,” he said.

“We will file an RTI on this. We will also send the questions officially, one more time to the EC and we will push to the farthest extent. As our national chairman has indicated, an independent audit of the EC’s IT system will be non-negotiable,” Dr Omane Boamah added.

This comes after the Minority in Parliament, in March, called for urgent action from the police following the alleged disappearance of seven biometric devices, expressing concern about potential ramifications for the upcoming December elections. 

The missing devices, intended for voter registration and verification by the EC ahead of its limited registration exercise, prompted the Minority for a swift investigation.

But, the Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Bossman Asare, said there was no need for such panic because the alleged stolen items have no bearing on sensitive data.

Addressing the press on March 20, he said the missing items were five laptops, and these gadgets do not have any ramifications on elections nor do they possess the capability to affect the integrity or outcome of elections.

However, Dr Omane Boamah insists that there is a cause for concern, adding that the BVDs have been missing for more than a month and were it not for the NDC legislators who blew the alarm, the issue of missing BVDs would not be in the limelight.

The Electoral Commission (EC) says individuals suspected to be involved in the theft of the missing BVDs have been handed over to the police.

According to the Director of Electoral Services at the EC, Dr Serebour Quaicoe, this step is to ensure that these individuals, if found guilty, pay for stealing state property.

Also speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Dr Quaicoe said the police began investigating the matter about a month ago when the electoral body officially noticed the BVDs were missing.