EC is conniving with RTI Commission to deny our BVR request – Election Watch Ghana

A leading member of Election Watch Ghana, Mark Ewusi-Arkoh, has threatened to hit every public place in the country to expose the connivance between the Electoral Commission and the Right to Information Commission for their refusal to give them the serial numbers of the missing BVR machines.

About a month ago, the Electoral Commission made it known to the general public as well as all stakeholders involved in the upcoming elections that some thieves had broken into their office and bolted away with the said biometric verification devices, which are composed of a laptop, a finger print scanner, a digital camera, a printer, a battery bank, a portable carrying case, and backup storage devices.

Mr. Ewusi-Arkoh observed that despite their tireless efforts to get decisive answers as to the whereabouts of the BVRs, the two state institutions have failed to provide them with the information without giving them cogent reasons.

He added that they have repeatedly requested the serial numbers of the BVR equipment, but that the Electoral Commission has deliberately refused to provide them with the required information.

He said the RTI Commission, on the other hand, which has been tasked with the mandate of ensuring transparency, has also been dragging its feet, citing excuses and stalling tactics.

Mr. Ewusi-Arkoh said  this on Friday, June 21, 2024, during a press conference in Accra.

He recounted that on May 20, 2024, his group wrote an official letter to the RTI Commission requesting clarifications on whether the serial numbers of the BVR kits used by the EC could be used for hacking and thus pose a danger for the December 2024 elections.

He said that instead of replying directly, the Electoral Commission held a press conference, and during the event, the Deputy Chair in Charge of Operations, Mr. Samuel Tettey, disclosed that the serial numbers of the BVR kits were sensitive information and posed a security threat if released.

“On May 20, 2024, we wrote to the RTI Commission requesting clarifications on whether the serial numbers of the BVR kits used by the EC could be used for hacking and thus pose a security risk if released. The EC, through its Deputy Chair in Charge of Operations, Mr. Samuel Tettey, said during a press conference that the serial numbers of the BVR kits were sensitive information and posed a security threat if released,” he explained.

Mr. Ewusi-Arkoh revealed that Election Watch was invited by the RTI Commission to a meeting on May 27, 2024, where the commission denied being compromised but acknowledged the need for further clarification from the EC.

“The RTI Committee invited us to a meeting on May 27, 2024, chaired by the Head of Legal, Mr. Stephen Owusu. At the meeting, we suspected that they were acting in a compromised manner, which they denied. It was concluded that we were making sense, but they needed to hear from the EC as well, which was scheduled for May 29, 2024,” he added.

According to him, subsequent to the meeting with the RTI Commission, several attempts by his organisation to follow up on their request have been met with excuses.