Kelni GVG: Two citizens sue gov’t to cancel controversial deal
Two private citizens have dragged Government to court to halt the implementation of a contract with IT firm, Kelni GVG, for real-time call traffic monitoring.
The contract has generated stern controversy since it was made public as critics raise concerns about possible breach of their fundamental human rights to privacy during the traffic monitoring.
Sara Asafu-Adjaye and Maximus Amertogoh want the Minister of Communication, the National Communication Authority, the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Attorney General, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications and the telecommunications networks to cease the traffic monitoring endeavour.
The Plaintiffs are requesting from the court “an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents, whether, by themselves, their servants, workmen, hirelings, agents, privies or any persons claiming under or through them, whosoever described from implementing and operationalizing the Common Platform until the final determination of this suit.”
They believe “intended implementation of the Common Platform Constitutes a real threat to the enjoyment of their fundamental human rights to privacy and for which reason on 8th June 2018, applicants commence an action against the respondents for the reliefs endorsed therein.”
“Instead of connecting to only the billing node as stipulated in Act 864, the connections will be made to all the physical network nodes,” the claim.
Think tank IMANI Africa has been championing for the cancellation of the $89 million Kelni GVG deal which is in line with the Communication Service Tax (Amendment) Act, 2013, Act 864.
They argued that the connection is “in breach of Act 864 and ultimately the applicant’s fundamental human right to privacy of their correspondence and communication as protected by article 18(2) of the constitution.”
Source : Myjoyonline