Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is unable to give his WhatsApp messages from his old phone to the public inquiry into the United Kingdom's response to the COVID-19 pandemic because he cannot remember the passcode for the device, The Times reported on Thursday, citing sources
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2023) Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is unable to give his WhatsApp messages from his old phone to the public inquiry into the United Kingdom's response to the COVID-19 pandemic because he cannot remember the passcode for the device, The Times reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The politician is unable to recall the password for his old mobile phone he has not been using since May 2021 with "100% confidence," the report said. It added that there are concerns that Johnson's device could automatically disable and erase the contents if the wrong code is entered.
The phone, the passcode to which Johnson cannot remember, could contain information about his cabinet's policy during the crucial period of pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
"Boris Johnson is very happy for the material to be disclosed and has done everything he can to give the inquiry access to the phone," a source close to Johnson told the news outlet.
Johnson had to hand over his unredacted messages, notebooks and diaries to the High Court by July 10 as part of the probe, but failed to do so as he has not provided all the information required, including his WhatsApp messages from his old phone.
The UK COVID-19 inquiry was announced in May 2021 as an independent public inquiry into the government response to the pandemic and measures to mitigate its consequences. Last month, public hearings began as part of the probe. Calls for an independent inquiry were partially sparked by Johnson's cabinet initial hands-off approach. relying on herd immunity, with many experts accusing the government of a weak response to the public health crisis.
