Stolen biometric device won’t affect December elections – EC assures public

The Electoral Commission (EC) has assured the public that the integrity of the 2024 elections will not be compromised by a stolen Biometric Verification Device (BVD).

This assurance comes after the arrest of a man found with a BVD suspected to belong to the EC.

The suspect, 52-year-old Samuel Yaw Koranteng, who claims to live in Tudu, Accra, was arrested with the BVD on Friday, August 23, 2024.

Following the arrest and subsequent agitations, the EC in a statement assured that it takes the issue of an unauthorised person possessing a BVD very seriously.

“The public may recall the theft of five laptops which formed part of Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) Kits from our stores in April 2024, as well as the vandalization of five BVDs and theft of two BVDs from Tarkwa Nsuaem District and North Tongu District respectively during the December 2023 District Level Elections (DLEs).

“The commission explained that a BVD in the hands of an unauthorised person cannot be used to compromise an election. It does not affect the integrity of an election.

“It is nothing more than an off-the-shelf device and cannot be used to compromise an election, without the necessary technical and security protocols,” the statement said.

The commission has since launched an internal investigation and will work with the police to resolve the matter.

Below is the statement from the EC.