Tech specialists retrieve Boris Johnson’s pandemic WhatsApps from previous cellphone

Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages have now been retrieved from his previous cellphone and can be handed over to the COVID inquiry unredacted, his spokesman has stated.

The probe into the federal government’s dealing with of the pandemic demanded to see the previous PM’s messages from the peak of lockdown as a part of its ongoing work.

But after settling a disagreement with the Cabinet Office in the courts over whether or not the messages have been vital, the inquiry nonetheless didn’t obtain the texts ahead of last week’s deadline.

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Mr Johnson’s spokesperson had stated the previous PM was suggested to maintain his previous cellphone switched off resulting from safety issues after it was found, whereas he was in workplace, that the quantity had been freely available on the internet for around 15 years.

But after the ex-leader acquired the sign-off from safety providers to show the system again on, experiences circulated that he had forgotten his passcode.

Now, Mr Johnson’s spokesman has stated “technical experts” had “successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device”, which means they could possibly be given to the inquiry.

However, a “security check of this material” was now required by the federal government, so “the timing of any further progress on delivery to the inquiry is therefore under the Cabinet Office’s control”.

The spokesperson added: “It was all the time the case that Boris Johnson would go this materials to the inquiry and do the whole lot doable to assist it’s recovered.

“A careful process approved by the inquiry has been followed to ensure that this was successful.”

The COVID inquiry, led by its chair Baroness Hallett, used a bit 21 discover to request all of Mr Johnson’s unreacted WhatsApps, diaries and notebooks again in May.

But the Cabinet Office argued a few of the content material was “unambiguously irrelevant” and sought a judicial review in opposition to it.

Mr Johnson insisted all through that he was joyful handy over the fabric, placing him at odds with the federal government’s place.

However, he stated the safety issues together with his previous cellphone – which he stopped utilizing in May 2021 – meant he must search recommendation from the safety providers about messages from earlier than that date.

The High Court dominated within the chair’s favour earlier this month, and the division promised to conform.

Now, it seems Mr Johnson may also hand over all of the remaining materials required by the inquiry.