Boris Johnson ‘forgot password’ of outdated cellphone wished by COVID inquiry for WhatsApp messages

Jul 13, 2023 at 3:01 PM
Boris Johnson ‘forgot password’ of outdated cellphone wished by COVID inquiry for WhatsApp messages

Boris Johnson has been unable to handover WhatsApp messages from his outdated cell phone to the COVID inquiry as a result of he has forgotten the password to it, in accordance with studies.

The Times mentioned it had been advised the previous prime minister couldn’t “with 100% confidence” keep in mind the code for the machine he used up till May 2021 – and there have been fears the Apple iPhone may erase the messages if the flawed digits had been entered too many instances.

Mr Johnson’s spokesperson didn’t deny the claims to Sky News, as a substitute saying government-appointed “technical experts” had been persevering with to work “to recover material safely from the device”.

But the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group mentioned it was a “complete joke” and Mr Johnson “needs to take full responsibility” for handing over his WhatsApp messages.

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A row erupted between the federal government and the COVID inquiry final month over whether or not ministers’ messages from through the pandemic ought to be handed over unredacted.

Despite launching a judicial evaluation over claims of privateness, the Cabinet Office lost out and was given till 4pm on Monday to offer the inquiry’s chair, Baroness Hallett, every thing she requested – together with the ex-prime minister’s WhatsApp messages, diaries and notebooks.

In an obvious swipe at his successor in Downing Street, Mr Johnson mentioned he had by no means had an issue with passing on the messages, however after a well-publicised security breach in May 2021, he had switched telephones and claimed to have been instructed to not change the machine again on once more.

However, he promised to hunt the recommendation of safety professionals to get the data the inquiry wished.

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His spokesperson mentioned the cellphone was at present together with his legal professionals, including: “As previously stated, Mr Johnson will cooperate fully with the inquiry.

“He desires to reveal any related materials which is why he’s totally cooperating with this course of.”

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A spokesperson for the COVID inquiry mentioned it had “now received the materials required” from the Cabinet Office, and it was conscious Mr Johnson was nonetheless in possession of his outdated cellphone.

They added he was “cooperating with the inquiry’s requests and efforts are under way to securely extract any potentially relevant content”.

Read extra:
Deadline to hand over Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages ‘has been missed’
David Cameron heckled as he leaves COVID inquiry

But a spokesperson for COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, Susie Flintham, mentioned: “This is a complete joke. No one seriously believes that Johnson’s messages can’t be accessed because he forgot a passcode that he was apparently using last December.

“Johnson must take full accountability for guaranteeing that these messages are shared of their entirety with the inquiry, and the inquiry should be ready to take authorized motion in opposition to him if he would not.”