General News of Monday, 9 July 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

Communications Ministry releases $89m Kelni GVG contract

Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful Minister of Communication, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

The Ministry of Communication has made available all the relevant documents concerning the controversial $89 million KelniGVG contract.

The Ministry stated that it had through the Attorney General’s Department successfully filed the Kelni GVG contract at the registry of the Human Rights court Monday, July 9, 2018, as requested by the court.

The ministry was ordered to release the documents by the Court presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah, following an application by two private Ghanaian citizens, John Ato Bonful and Nana Adom Kanyi, as well a pressure group, ‘The Citizens of Ghana Movement’, who feared the implementation of the contract could breach their right to privacy, hence their prayer to the court for an injunction.

The deal, which is meant for the design, development and implementation of a common platform for monitoring mobile phone traffic and corresponding revenue, has come under a lot of scrutiny, especially from policy think tank, Imani Africa.

Imani Africa wants the contract cancelled because it believes it is “needless” and a rip-off.

But the Communication Ministry has consistently dismissed the claims saying the privacy of Ghanaians will not be compromised by the Kelni GVG deal.