A handful of Verizon Wireless employees have been suspended for snooping on US president elect Barack Obama’s mobile phone records.

Verizon’s president and CEO Lowell McAdam issued a public apology to Obama on Friday, after it emerged that “a number of” Verizon staff had accessed the president elect’s account.

McAdam said the account in question had not been active for several months and was linked to a clamshell device Obama used for personal calls, not the BlackBerry he is often seen with these days.

“All employees who have accessed the account – whether authorized or not – have been put on immediate leave, with pay. As the circumstances of each individual employee’s access to the account are determined, the company will take appropriate actions. Employees with legitimate business needs for access will be returned to their positions, while employees who have accessed the account improperly and without legitimate business justification will face appropriate disciplinary action,” said McAdam.