Judges, prosecutors attend training in cybercrime
The fight against cybercrime has been taken to another level with the commencement of a five-day training programme on cybercrime for judges and prosecutors in Accra.
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Organised by the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe in collaboration with the National Communication Authority (NCA) and the Judicial Service, the programme is expected to equip the judges and prosecutors with the requisite skills to effectively deal with cybercrime issues that are brought before the law courts.
Dubbed: “Introductory Cybercrime and Electronic Evidence Training of Trainers Course,” the participants are expected to train other people in the law enforcement and criminal justice system after their training.
Importance
At the opening ceremony of the programme in Accra yesterday, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei, said judges, prosecutors and investigators must be abreast of the current trends in cybercrime due to the sophisticated methods employed by cybercriminals.
He noted that lack of the requisite training for stakeholders in the justice delivery system on cybercrime had the potential to derail the fight against the menace, adding that: “Justice cannot be served if the offenders are more technologically advanced than the law enforcement agencies.”
“As technologies become more sophisticated and more widely used, the more sophisticated criminals also become. Increasingly they use information and communications technology (ICT) to carry out illegal activities,” he stressed.
The Minister of Communications, Mrs Ursula Owusu Ekuful, who also spoke at the ceremony, said the government was committed to promoting the transaction of many businesses on electronic platforms and as such was aware of the implications of cybercrime.
“While looking at the law enforcement aspect of cybercrime, we are also stepping up public education on cybercrime to help us adjust our ways of doing things to ensure that our cyberspace is secure,” she said.
Security threat
In his address, the National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, said cybercrime had become a major security threat to the country, hence the need for concerted effort and better collaboration among security agencies and the judiciary.
The whole law enforcement and justice system, he said, ought to be given the requisite training to deal with the issue.
“Once the cybercriminals know that their cases, when referred to the courts, would not end up as foolish cases, it would be a deterrent,” he said.
For his part, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr William Hanna, said governments had to find the balance between fighting cybercrime and protecting the individual’s right.
He advised that caution must be taken not to strangle the new technology in the country’s quest to fight cybercriminals.