President Mahama Vows Tougher Action on Cybercrime, Promises Collaboration with Global Partners
President John Mahama has pledged stronger collaboration with international partners to combat cybercrime, warning that both Ghanaians and foreigners engaged in romance scams and financial fraud will face prosecution.
Speaking at the launch of the 2025 National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the inauguration of the Joint Cyber Security Committee, Mr Mahama said cyber-enabled crimes had become a major threat to financial systems and public trust.
“Some are romance scams, and recently we’ve been collaborating with our international partners, and so we’ll continue to collaborate with all our global partners. Anybody involved in romance scams, whether you are a foreigner or a Ghanaian citizen, we will hand you over to be tried and punished accordingly,” he said.
The President disclosed that insiders within financial institutions had been complicit in cyber fraud schemes, but assured that swift punitive measures had already been taken. “Some people are employed within financial institutions, and they manage, because they are in there, to be able to take advantage of the system. The Bank of Ghana and the cybersecurity agencies have arrested a few such individuals, and punishment is normally very swift,” he noted.
He also warned against the surge of hate speech on digital platforms, saying it posed a risk to national cohesion. “There are also other forms like hate speech to create division amongst people, post messages that will pit one ethnic group against the other. That is also becoming very commonplace, and it’s something that our Cybersecurity Authority and allied agencies must look at,” he cautioned.
This year alone, several Ghanaians have been extradited to the United States through cooperation with the FBI to face charges of alleged involvement in cybercrime.
Meanwhile, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Sam George, disclosed that government is working with the Attorney-General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice to establish specialised courts to deal exclusively with cybercrime cases.
“Due to the evolving nature of cybersecurity and the need to stay ahead of threats, the Cybersecurity Act 2020, Act 1038, is currently under review by the Ministry to ensure that our laws remain robust, responsive, forward-looking, and capable of addressing emerging threats,” Mr George explained.
He added that the Cybersecurity Authority, in collaboration with the Police CID, had already arrested hundreds of suspects this year, noting that dedicated cybercrime courts would ensure faster prosecutions and deterrence.
