Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director-General of Ghana’s National Signals Bureau (NSB), has been remanded into the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for seven working days, beginning Thursday, May 1, 2025. The remand, ordered by an Accra High Court, is to give the Attorney General’s Department time to finalize witness statements in a corruption case involving over GHS 49 million (approximately USD 7 million).
The case has been adjourned to Monday, May 13, 2025, for further directions.
Adu-Boahene, along with his wife Angela Adjei Boateng, Mildred Donkor, and Advantage Solutions Limited, faces 11 counts of criminal charges including stealing, money laundering, defrauding by false pretence, and wilfully causing financial loss to the state.
At the last court hearing, the defence argued that all accused persons should continue on existing bail terms. However, the Attorney General opposed bail for Adu-Boahene, citing concerns that he had interfered with potential witnesses. The court then held an in-camera session to consider the submissions.
Following the private hearing, the judge ruled that Adu-Boahene be held in EOCO custody for seven working days, clarifying that weekends were excluded because government legal offices do not operate during that period. The court also noted that a key witness in the case is currently outside Ghana, further justifying the delay.
Case Background
The charges stem from Adu-Boahene’s tenure as the head of the NSB, during which he allegedly signed a $7 million cyber defence software contract with Israeli firm ISC Holdings Limited. Investigations allege that he transferred the funds to his personal accounts under the guise of payments for the contract.
According to the Attorney General, the transactions were unauthorized and fraudulent, amounting to a significant misuse of public funds intended for national security.
A Continental Concern
This high-profile prosecution underscores the persistent challenge of corruption in Africa’s intelligence and procurement sectors. The case not only puts a spotlight on the misuse of state funds in Ghana, but also raises broader questions about transparency, oversight, and accountability across the continent’s security establishments.
Observers say the outcome of this trial could set a regional precedent for how African states confront financial crimes involving top officials in sensitive government institutions.