Adu-Boahene Trial: GH¢49.1m from National Signals Bureau account – Prosecution witness tells court
The trial of former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, continued on Monday with the fourth prosecution witness testifying that the GH¢49.1 million at the centre of the case was transferred from a public account operated by the Bureau.
The witness, Frank Marshall Cromwell, a Staff Officer at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and one of the investigators in the case, made the disclosure while being cross-examined before the High Court in Accra.
Mr Adu-Boahene is standing trial alongside his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, Mildred Donkor, and Advantage Solutions Limited over allegations of stealing GH¢49.1 million earmarked for the procurement of a national cybersecurity system.
According to the prosecution, Mr Adu-Boahene, while serving as Director-General of the then Bureau of National Communications (BNC) in 2018, and his wife established a private company known as BNC Communication Bureau Limited, whose name closely resembled that of the state institution. Prosecutors allege the company was used to create a bank account classd as the "Director BNC" account, giving it the appearance of a legitimate government account through which public funds were channelled.
The four accused persons are facing 11 charges, including conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, using public office for personal gain, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Samuel Atta Akyea challenged the prosecution's assertion that the "Director BNC" account was a public account.
However, Mr Cromwell maintained that EOCO's investigations established otherwise, explaining that the Head of Finance of the National Signals Bureau, Edith Ruby Adumuah, had identified the account as one of the Bureau's official accounts.
When counsel suggested that EOCO had wrongly classified the account as a state account, the witness rejected the assertion.
"I disagree because the Head of Finance of the Bureau of National Communications listed accounts operated by the Bureau of National Communications, which included the Director BNC account at Fidelity Bank," Mr Cromwell told the court.
He further testified that investigators established that the account was opened on the instructions of the National Security Coordinator to facilitate the operational activities of the Bureau.
"I am aware that the account known as the Director BNC account was created on the instructions of the National Security Coordinator for operational purposes of the Bureau of National Communications," he stated.
Mr Atta Akyea also questioned the witness on whether EOCO had considered the unique operational nature of national security institutions, suggesting that such agencies often rely on front companies, special-purpose accounts, black budgets and other covert financial mechanisms.
The witness responded that he was not aware of those operational practices and could not comment on whether opening such accounts was lawful or otherwise.
He nevertheless reiterated that investigations confirmed the National Security Coordinator authorised the opening of the Director BNC account at Fidelity Bank and that it subsequently became one of the accounts operated by the Bureau, now known as the National Signals Bureau.
As the cross-examination stretched into its sixth week, trial judge Justice Francis Achibonga questioned how much longer the defence intended to continue examining the witness.
"Counsel, I always allow defence lawyers all the time to cross-examine witnesses in these cases, but the court also has a duty to manage the case. The witness has been in the box for six weeks. How far do you want to go?" the judge asked.
Mr Atta Akyea responded that he still had several issues to address with the witness, including matters relating to disclosures previously ordered by the court and the possibility of seeking directions from the Court of Appeal.