A major breakthrough has been attained in UK’s Partygate scandal as experts cracked the password to Boris Johnson’s old phone and gained access after the former prime minister was not able to recall his password, UK’s local media reports said citing a spokesman of the ex-PM.
The unlocking of the device is a crucial development as the UK police reopened the probe into the Partygate political scandal recently.
It is important to note that the phone is believed to possess important Covid-era communications which Johnson had with ministers. The former prime minister stopped using his old mobile phone in May 2021 after he was advised to do so due to security reasons during his tenure as the PM.
A spokesman for the former prime minister quoted by UK’s Metro media portal said that experts have unlocked the phone and recovered ‘all relevant messages’. The former PM’s representative also added that the recovered data will now be handed to the Covid inquiry ‘unredacted’.
Boris Johnson seems to have taken the news in positive spirit. Johnson’s spokesman said that the former PM was “pleased that technical experts have now successfully recovered all relevant messages from the device”.
He added that the “inquiry process requires that a security check of this material is now made by the Cabinet Office.”
As per Johnson’s representative, the timing of any further progress in the Covid-inquiry depends on the Cabinet Office’s control. “It was always the case that Boris Johnson would pass this material to the inquiry and do everything possible to help it be recovered.” the spokesman said adding, “A careful process approved by the Inquiry has been followed to ensure that this was successful.”
Earlier, a report said that the experts were wary that any attempts to crack into Johnson’s iPhone could potentially end up in the deletion of its key Covid-era communications data. It was also discovered that Johnson’s number was freely available online for 15 years.
House of Commons Privileges Committee report
Earlier, a report by the House of Commons Privileges Committee, published on June 15, found out that former UK prime minister Boris Johnson deliberately misled the parliament over the Partygate scandal.
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However, even before the committee had published its report, Boris Johnson formally submitted his resignation as a Conservative Member of Parliament.
Viral Partygate scandal video
Amid the controversy that plagued Johnson and surrounded many UK lawmakers, a video surfaced which showed workers on Bailey’s 2021 London mayoral campaign dancing while the capital was under Tier 2 lockdown. This event was a birthday party held for Baroness Jenkin, wife of senior Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin, in Parliament on 8 December 2020.
UK police reopen probe
The British police have decided to re-open two new investigations into 2020 lockdown-breaching parties after finding a new video that was not previously provided to the officers. However, they said that no further action would be taken against former prime minister Boris Johnson.
