…as AG Closes Case This Week
By TNR FILES
The Accra High Court is poised to receive closing arguments this week in the trial of Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director General of the National Signals Bureau, marking a critical juncture in what has become the first major corruption prosecution of the Mahama administration.
The case, which involves GH¢49.1 million ($7 million) earmarked for a cyber defense system, has laid bare a pattern of alleged financial misconduct that prosecutors say transformed a government agency’s funds into a personal slush fund for luxury homes, high-end vehicles, and gifts to family and friends all while the nation’s cyber security capabilities remained untouched.
At the heart of the prosecution’s case is a stark contradiction: the cyber defense system the money was intended to acquire was never purchased. Instead, prosecutors have presented evidence that the funds were systematically drained through a network of bank accounts, shell companies, and forged receipts.
Adu-Boahene, along with his wife Angela Boateng, was charged in April 2025 with ten offenses, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering. Both have pleaded not guilty, and Adu-Boahene remains on bail.
According to Deputy Minister of Justice Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, the prosecution’s evidence paints a damning picture:
· The GH¢49.1 million was Government of Ghana money held in a government agency’s bank account.
· Adu-Boahene opened a bank account in the name of his private company on the same day the first cheque was issued.
· Three cheques intended for a government agency were diverted into that account.
· Within six months, the entire amount had been spent.
The purchases included houses in prime locations, luxury cars for himself, family, and friends. Prosecutors have tendered purchase receipts, bank statements, and ownership documents containing dates, amounts, and names a paper trail they argue is irrefutable.
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the testimony concerns the accused’s shifting narrative. Early in the proceedings, Adu-Boahene and his co-defendants denied knowledge and ownership of the companies they had founded, the bank accounts they controlled, and the luxury properties they had acquired. But when confronted with documentary evidence, they admitted to the ownership a pattern prosecutors say demonstrates consciousness of guilt.
Srem-Sai also took aim at Adu-Boahene’s public claim that he used the embezzled money for political campaign activities in 2024, describing this as an intentional misrepresentation. The evidence, he said, suggests otherwise.
The prosecution has also presented evidence that Adu-Boahene’s bankers themselves flagged the account as “suspicious,” forcing him to close it. The account was later reopened with another bank a detail that raises questions about the effectiveness of Ghana’s anti-money laundering safeguards.
Earlier testimony from EOCO investigator Frank Marshall Cromwell revealed that Adu-Boahene transferred GH¢9.54 million ($1.75 million) to ISC Holdings, an Israeli company contracted to supply the cyber defense system but made no further payments. The remaining funds were allegedly withdrawn for personal use until the account was depleted.
When the account was closed, the balance was transferred to another company linked to the accused.
A particularly damning piece of evidence concerns forged purchase receipts for the cyber defense equipment documents prosecutors say were manufactured to conceal the fact that the equipment was never bought. The forgery, they argue, demonstrates a deliberate effort to defraud the state.
Samuel Atta Akyea, Adu-Boahene’s lawyer, has maintained his client’s innocence, insisting that Adu-Boahene committed no offence and will vigorously contest the prosecution’s case. The defense has not yet presented its case, pending the closure of the prosecution’s evidence.
The trial has drawn significant attention not only because of the magnitude of the alleged fraud but also because it comes just days after another high-profile case concluded with a historic conviction.
On Monday, the Accra High Court sentenced Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for illegal mining a verdict that signaled the government’s determination to pursue politically exposed individuals.
· Accountability for intelligence officials: Can Ghana prosecute senior figures in its security apparatus, even when their work involves classified information?
· Asset recovery: If convicted, will the state be able to recover the diverted funds and the luxury assets acquired with them?
· Cyber security readiness: With the cyber defense system never acquired, what is the state of Ghana’s cyber security capabilities?
“We believe that justice will be served to both the accused persons and our beloved Republic at the end of the day,” Srem-Sai said in a statement.
As the prosecution prepares to close its case this week, all eyes are on the High Court. The verdict, when it comes, will be closely watched not only for its implications for Adu-Boahene but for what it signals about the government’s commitment to combating high-level corruption.