Bring Back ‘Spy Bill’ – Minority

The Minority in Parliament on Thursday called for the reintroduction of the controversial Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Bill before Parliament.

The bill, which was laid before Parliament in February 2016 was to allow the country’s security agencies to listen in on private conversations of citizens for the purpose of clamping down on crime.

But due to stiff opposition from the Minority then [now Majority] and a section of the public including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the bill was never passed before the dissolution of the 6^th Parliament.

According to the Minority then, the bill was to give government powers to tap phone conversations of citizens—a position a former Interior Minister and member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga dismissed then as borne out of misinforming and still ascribes to.

Addressing Parliament on Thursday February 1, he maintained that “the import of that particular proposed legislation was lost on all of us and we misconstrued the real import of the legislation and rather thought that what that legislation sought to achieve was to afford the security agencies of state an unfettered right to violate the right to privacy under article 18 [of the 1992 constitution].”

“And so, in my estimation the invitation extended to us by the Honourable member is very very appropriate in the sense that we need to harmonise our laws on limiting that particular right which is provided for under article 18, because the exception has clearly been spelt out that in the interest of national security, public moral and even our health, that particular right could be restricted,” he stated.

Calling on the Majority to reintroduce the bill, he said the Minority will always be available to offer its support to ensure its smooth passage.

Adding his voice to the call by Mr. Agalga, the Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu said, “The US after 9/11 [the] congress passed a certain act [to fight terrorism] that is what Ghana must be looking at.”

“Going forward” he continued “we should have a common national position on this matter [Postal Packets and Telecommunications Bill].”

Observing that the passage of the bill will help check secret recordings and leaking and circulation of sex tapes, Mr. Iddrisu quizzed: “Should we intercept or not? What should we intercept? Crime must be intercepted and nobody should debate that.”

The Minority’s demand was on the back of a statement on the floor of parliament by the Member of Parliament for Subin Eugene Arhin who expressed concern about the lapses in the country’s laws which have given rise to leaking of sex tapes and secret recordings.

Source: Starrfmonline