Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Sam Nartey George, has disclosed that efforts to arrest cybercrime suspects in Ghana were previously undermined by intelligence leaks from state-affiliated sources, allowing targets to evade arrest.
Addressing the media, the Minister explained that the ongoing crackdown on cyber fraud did not begin under his tenure but was initiated before his appointment. However, he said earlier operations were compromised because sensitive information was leaked to suspects ahead of arrests.
“Let me be clear, this clampdown on cyber fraud did not start today. The FBI requests were made long before I became Minister. But in the past, people leaked information to targets and helped them evade arrest,” Mr. George stated.
He stressed that cybercrime has severely damaged Ghana’s international reputation, particularly within the digital economy. According to him, the country’s growing association with online fraud contributed to major platforms such as PayPal withdrawing services from Ghana.
“The reason PayPal left Ghana is because of fraud,” the Minister said, noting that cybercrime discourages foreign investment and prevents global digital platforms from offering monetisation opportunities to Ghanaian users.
Mr. George reiterated his commitment to aggressively tackling cybercrime, describing it as essential to restoring confidence in Ghana’s digital ecosystem.
“When I became Minister, I made it clear that anything we must do to clean up Ghana’s international image, we will do it. As we clamp down on cybercrime, it strengthens our case when we engage global platforms to extend monetisation services to Ghana,” he added.
The Minister’s comments follow the recent arrest of Ghanaian social media influencer Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, who was apprehended by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday, December 11, in connection with an alleged $8 million romance scam targeting elderly victims in the United States.
