Court sets July 18 to begin Adu-Boahene, others over $7m cyber-defence software dea

The High Court in Accra has fixed July 18 this year to begin the trial of the immediate past Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene and three others standing trial for allegedly stealing GH¢49.1 million from the state.

The prosecution is expected to call its first witness to the witness box to firm up its case against the court persons.

The court presided over by Justice John Nyante Nyadu gave the date after completing are pre-trial proceedings, paving the way for the trial to begin. 

Prior to fixing the date, the court had dismissed Adu-Boahene’s application which sought to compel the prosecution to disclose all national security accounts from 1992 to date. 
The full reasoned ruling is expected to be made available on Monday, July 7, 2025. 
Charges 

In court with Adu-Boahene, are his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, and Mildred Donkor, a former bank relations officer for the two, and a director of Advantage Solutions Limited (ASL), the sole shareholder of a private company that the prosecution alleged was used to receive the GH¢49 million. 

The prosecution has alleged that BNC Communication Bureau Limited, a private company, was created by Adu-Boahene and his wife to look similar to the then BNC, belonging to the state. 

Adu-Boahene and Angela have been accused of moving GH¢49 million, meant for purchasing the software for the state, into their private company through a complex web of companies ultimately owned by ASL. 

Mildred, on the other hand, has been accused of assisting the couple to move the money, which the prosecution alleged had been used to purchase landed properties in Accra, Kumasi and London, as well as other properties. 

In all, the prosecution has slapped the four accused persons — Adu-Boahene, Boateng, Donkor and ASL — with 11 counts of offences. 

Adu-Boahene has been charged with three counts of stealing, one count of defrauding by false pretences, one count of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, one count of using public office for personal gain and one count of obtaining public property by false pretences. 

He has also been accused of conspiring with his wife, Angela, to steal GH¢49 million, while Angela has been charged with one count of collaborating with her husband to use public office for profit. 

All four accused persons have been charged with conspiracy to launder money and a substantive charge of money laundering. 
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been admitted to bail pending trial. 

Prosecution’s facts 

The facts of the case as narrated by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine are that while serving as the Director-General of BNC in 2018, Mr Adu-Boahene and his wife incorporated “BNC Communication Bureau Limited”, a name similar to the then BNC.

The company, the Attorney-General said, had Mr Adu-Boahene and his wife listed as directors, and they proceeded to open a corporate account for their Private BNC at Universal Merchant Bank (UMB).

He added that according to the mandate of the account, either of the directors could sign cheques and approve transactions on the account.

The A-G disclosed that in January 2020, Mr Adu-Boahene signed a contract on behalf of the government and the National Security Council, on one hand, and, on the other hand, an Israeli company called ISC Holdings Ltd.

The GH¢49 million contract, the A-G said, was for the purchase of a software called “Cyber Defence System”.

According to the A-G, Adu-Boahene moved the GH¢49 million from the bureau’s account into his private BNC Communication Bureau Limited account. 

After that, the A-G alleged that he transferred $1.7 million to ISC Holdings Limited purportedly as a 25 per cent part-payment of the sale price of the cybersecurity defence system.

Investigations

The A-G told the court that further investigations revealed that no cybersecurity system of the description in the January 30, 2020, contract was ever received by the state’s Bureau of National Communications or by its successor agency the National Signals Bureau or by the Government of Ghana. 

“An inventory confirmation from the National Security Secretariat shows that the equipment was never received into stores, as is the practice in the public services,” Dr Ayine told the court.

He added that the monies, which Adu-Boahene and his wife moved from the National BNC bank account into the private BNC's bank account, were paid through a complex web of companies, ultimately owned by ASL. 

Dr Ayine said investigations revealed further that the monies were moved with the knowledge and active assistance of Donkor.

“The funds were also used to fund the lavish lifestyle of the couple and their friends,” he added.