Adu-Boahen and wife held over GH¢39m for no work done – Attorney-General
Kwabena Adu-Boahene, former Director General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB) and his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng have been arrested and detained for allegedly diverting state funds. They have also been found to have GH¢39,462,480 for no work done.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Dr Dominic Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, said the couple diverted state funds following the signing of Government of Ghana contract for the purchase of “Cyber Defense System Software” at a cost of $7 million.
According to the Minister of Justice, GH¢39,462,480 is with Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng for “no lawful reason and work done.”
Dr Ayine said currently the couple had been admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢260 million.
The Attorney-General (AG), who termed the said contract as “GOG-ISC Contract,” explained that the signing of the said contract took place on January 30, 2020, between Ghana and an Israeli company called ISC Holdings Limited.
Dr Ayine said on February 6, 2020, Mr Adu- Boahene transferred an initial amount of GH¢27.1 million from the state (National) BNC Operations Account at Fidelity Bank to his private BNC account at UMB Bank.
“Official documentation on the transfer revealed that the amount was for the payment of a ” Cyber Defense System Software” which the National BNC was buying from ISC Holdings in Israel.
Mr Adu- Boahene, in effect, transferred the money from the National BNC to his private company – Private BNC,” the AG said.
Dr Ayine explained that a review of the Bank accounts revealed that once the funds from National BNC landed in the account of Adu- Boahene’s private BNC at UMB, he caused his private BNC to transfer GH¢9, 537,520 to ISC Holdings Limited.
“By the exchange rate at the time, this amount was the Ghana cedi equivalent of $1,750,000.
According to the AG, to justify or facilitate the transfer of $175,000, Mr Adu-Boahene fraudulently attached a copy of GOG-ISC Contract as well as an invoice which he held as an invoice issued by ISC Holdings Limited on the contract.
Dr Ayine told the media that on March 18,2020, and March 30, 2020, respectively, the suspect (Adu- Boahene) again transferred GH¢21 million from the National BNC Directors Account at Fidelity Bank to Private BNC account at UMB.
“The transfers from the National BNC bank Account brought the total transfer that Mr Adu- Boahene made to his private BNC to GH¢49 million.
Apart from the initial transfer of the $1,750,000 from the Private BNC to ISC Holdings, no further payments were made to ISC Holdings.”
Dr Ayine said a review of the transactions on the private BNCs bank Account revealed that Adu Boahene and his wife began applying the rest of the funds for their personal use, “making transfer to local third parties, making personal investments as well as transfer to unknown persons.”
“Investigations have revealed that so far the suspect and wife have registered companies which we are tracking.”
The AG said investigations also revealed several movements of money in both local and foreign currencies across multiple companies and the state had alerted some banks of the effects of various transfers.
The AG mentioned that some of the banks as Universal Merchant Bank, Fidelity Bank and Stanbic Bank.
According to him, three banks were to desist from various electronic money transfers and any manager who ignores the directive would be dealt with under the law.
He said the state would come after all those who engaged in acts of criminality as he had the full backing of the President.
Dr Ayine said over 10 assets of Adu-Boahene and wife had so far been identified.
“We are still tracking suspect Kwabena Adu-Boahene’s assets but will conclude in the next few days and file charges against him and other suspects.
We are open to plea bargaining and we will be using some of the suspects as prosecution witnesses,” Dr Ayine said.
Source: GNA