Expose the rot, not just Adu-Boahen – Bright Simons tells authorities
Ghana must go beyond prosecuting individuals and confront the deep-seated corruption embedded in its national security architecture, says Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa.
Mr. Simons is urging full and transparent prosecution of former National Signals Bureau (NSB) boss, Kwabena Adu-Boahen, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a bold step toward exposing what he describes as "rogue networks" operating under the guise of national security.
Adu-Boahen is currently on trial for allegedly misappropriating GH¢49 million. In a startling memo addressed to the National Security Coordinator, the former intelligence chief claimed the funds were used for covert operations—including GH¢8.3 million to procure “communications equipment” for an opposition party, and nearly GH¢1 million allegedly paid to legislators to pass key security-related laws.
The former spy chief has since accused the Attorney General of launching a politically motivated prosecution against him.
But Mr. Simons insists the allegations are too serious to be brushed aside.
“We must not allow the prosecution of Mr. Adu-Boahen to be a symbolic process,” Simons said on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, May 10. “This is a pivotal opportunity to reveal how power and wealth may have been used to shield misconduct in a system that, by design, is meant to prevent it.”
Security under scrutiny
Ghana’s security institutions, including the Research Department, the NSB, and the National Communications Authority, are constitutionally placed under the National Security Council, which is chaired by the President. According to Simons, this structure was specifically created to block unilateral abuse of power.
“But oversight mechanisms are only as strong as the political will behind them,” he noted.
Simons also challenged the prevailing perception that national security activities are beyond scrutiny.“This isn’t the Wild West,” he stated. “Even classified operations are bound by law—the National Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, the Public Financial Management Act, and procurement laws all apply. Every cedi must be traceable.”
He stressed that even regional security funds are controlled directly by the Ministry of National Security. “No agency head is a law unto themselves,” he added.
Simons also pointed out a worrying trend: auditors often lack the technical expertise to investigate complex national security expenditures, allowing loopholes for misappropriation.
‘Rogue networks operating within legal frameworks’
According to Simons, Adu-Boahen’s case represents a disturbing paradox—a senior official allegedly operating outside the very legal boundaries he was meant to uphold.
“He had reach across virtually every sector—military, police, civil service, disaster response. It would be a grave error to ignore the potential scale of rogue activity embedded within such a network.”
He warned that shielding officials behind the curtain of "national security" creates an environment ripe for abuse and elite impunity.
“National security must not become a smokescreen for corruption or political manipulation,” Simons emphasized.
The cost of complacency
Simons further cautioned that public confidence in democratic institutions is at stake. “If citizens believe national security is being used to launder funds or to suppress opposition voices, we lose the very essence of democratic oversight,” he warned.
He accused some state agencies, including the Ghana National Fire Service, of hiding behind the national security label to evade procurement regulations. “We’ve reached a point where ‘national security’ is being weaponized to shut down transparency. This must stop.”
Call to action
Simons also called on the Auditor General and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to step up. “The myth that national security operates in total secrecy is part of the problem. The truth is, oversight is possible—what’s missing is the resolve to enforce it, especially when politically connected networks are involved.”
