The fraud trial involving former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, intensified this week as three key witnesses took the stand, shedding light on the alleged diversion GH¢49.1 million in public funds.
Also Read
Adu-Boahene, his wife Angela Adjei-Boateng, associate Mildred Donkor, and their jointly owned company, Advantage Solutions Limited, face multiple charges, including stealing, conspiracy, and causing financial loss to the state.
At the heart of the case is a failed US$7 million cyber defense system deal with Israeli firm ISC Holdings, which prosecutors claim was a cover for the fraudulent transfer of state funds.
EOCO Investigator Unravels Alleged Diversion
Frank Marshall Cromwell, an investigator at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), revealed that Adu-Boahene signed the cyber defense contract in January 2020.
However, rather than transferring funds to the legitimate supplier, GH¢49.1 million was siphoned from the Bureau of National Communications’ Fidelity Bank account into a new private account, “BNC Communications Bureau Limited Operations,” opened just a day before the first deposit.
Cromwell testified that only US$1.75 million ever reached ISC Holdings. The rest, he said, was withdrawn in cash for personal use, with help from co-accused Mildred Donkor.
He also noted that other companies linked to the accused had no visible operations and that multiple assets allegedly purchased with the stolen money have been frozen by court order.
Finance Director Testifies on Protocol Abuse
NSB Director of Finance, Edith Ruby Opokua Adumuah, confirmed that she issued cheques under Adu-Boahene’s instruction to “BNC Operations” without knowing the account belonged to a private entity controlled by him and his wife.
Due to internal “need-to-know” policies, Adumuah was not privy to full payment details but assumed the transactions were legitimate. She also testified that Donkor, although no longer a bank employee, frequently handled the financial errands on Adu-Boahene’s behalf.
Errand Assistant Confirms Cash Transfers
The third witness, Frank Anane Dekpey, an errand assistant to all three accused, testified that he routinely moved large sums of money, often carried in “big Ghana Must Go” bags, between UMB and Stanbic banks.
He confirmed that some funds were deposited into accounts of Vertex Solutions, a company also linked to the accused trio.
The court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks as more evidence is presented.
