President John Mahama has pledged that Ghana will step up collaboration with international partners to ensure both citizens and foreigners involved in romance scams and other forms of cybercrime face the full rigours of the law.

Speaking at the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the inauguration of the Joint Cyber Security Committee, the President said that romance scams and financial crimes would not be tolerated, whether committed by Ghanaians or foreigners.

“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.

He revealed that some insiders in financial institutions had also been caught aiding cybercrime operations.

“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 cyber security agencies have arrested a few such individuals, and punishment is normally very swift,” he noted.

The President also raised concerns about the rise of hate speech online, warning that it could destabilise national unity.

“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, some notable Ghanaians have already been extradited to the United States through collaborations with the FBI to face charges for alleged involvement in cybercrime.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Sam George, disclosed that his ministry is working with the Attorney-General’s Office and the Ministry of Justice to establish specialised courts to handle 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,” he explained.

He said the Cybersecurity Authority, working with the Police CID, had already arrested hundreds of suspects this year alone.

“To ensure swift prosecution, we’re working closely with the Office of the Attorney-General and the Ministry of Justice to establish a specialised court to handle cybercrime issues,” he said.