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The Adentan Circuit Court has awarded GH₵1.9 million in compensatory damages against Bolt Holdings OU, the processor for Bolt Operations in Ghana, in a landmark identity theft case involving the popular ride-hailing app. The court also ordered Bolt Holdings OU to pay GH₵20,000 in legal costs.
The case, filed by Justice Noah Adade, a lecturer at Kumasi Technical University and Board Chairman of the institution, centered on the misuse of his personal data by an employee, Peter Walker, who fraudulently registered as a Bolt driver using the plaintiff’s identity.
In August 2022, Justice Adade discovered that his photo and personal details were being used on the Bolt platform when he requested a ride and was matched with a driver who turned out to be Walker, his employee. Walker confessed to stealing his identity and registering as a driver on the app.
The court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Awo Kwadam, ruled that Bolt Holdings OU had failed in its duty of care under the Data Protection Act. The company had not conducted proper identity verification checks when processing the plaintiff’s personal data, leading to the fraudulent registration.
Bolt Ghana Limited, the second defendant in the case, was cleared of any liability, as the court determined that it was not the appropriate party to the suit.
The ruling emphasized the emotional distress and reputational damage suffered by the plaintiff, given his prominent position in academia and business. The court also ordered the Data Protection Commission to conduct a forensic audit of Bolt’s systems and enforce proper identity verification for all ride-hailing platforms operating in Ghana.
