The high-profile trial of former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, his wife Angela Adjei-Boateng, associate Mildred Donkor, and their company, Advantage Solutions Limited, has entered a critical phase, with three prosecution witnesses delivering detailed and damning testimonies before the High Court.
The four accused are facing multiple charges including conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, and causing financial loss to the state.
The charges stem from the alleged misappropriation of GH¢49.1 million in public funds intended for the purchase of a cybersecurity defense system—funds which investigators claim were instead funneled into private accounts and used for personal purposes.
Alleged Scheme Unraveled
According to lead investigator Frank Marshall Cromwell, a staff officer at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Adu-Boahene, acting as Director of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC), signed a US$7 million contract on January 30, 2020, with Israeli cybersecurity firm ISC Holdings Limited.
However, only US$1.75 million (GH¢9.5 million at the time) was transferred to the Israeli company. The remaining GH¢39.6 million was allegedly diverted.
The funds, originally lodged in a Fidelity Bank account under the BNC, were disbursed via three large cheques into a UMB Bank account named “BNC Communications Bureau Limited – Operations.”
Cromwell’s investigation revealed that this account was privately controlled by Adu-Boahene and his wife under the guise of an operational unit of the NSB.
Cromwell testified that over time, substantial amounts were withdrawn in cash, sometimes by Adu-Boahene himself, or by Mildred Donkor with assistance from an errand assistant, Frank Anane Dekpey.
Finance Director’s Inside Account
The Director of Finance at the NSB, Edith Ruby Opokua Adumua, also took the stand, confirming several key aspects of the alleged financial malpractice.
She described how Adu-Boahene personally instructed her to write cheques in favour of “BNC Operations”—a payee label she assumed was part of the Bureau’s legitimate operations.
Adumua recounted issuing three major cheques in February and March 2020, totaling GH¢49.1 million. She testified that after the cheques were signed by Adu-Boahene and the late National Security Coordinator, Joshua Kyeremeh, she was directed to deposit them into the UMB account controlled by the accused.
These instructions, she admitted, raised suspicions, but due to strict “need-to-know” policies within the Bureau, she was not in a position to question the directives.
While she confirmed the existence of an invoice from ISC Holdings for US$7 million, Adumua said she later learned that less than half the amount was ever paid to the company, contradicting the initial purpose for which the funds were released.
Errand Assistant’s Testimony Reveals Cash Movements
In what appears to be corroborating evidence of illicit financial operations, Frank Anane Dekpey, a church acquaintance and self-described errand assistant to the accused persons, told the court that he was regularly dispatched to carry out cash withdrawals from UMB Bank and Stanbic Bank.
Dekpey said he operated under the instructions of the third accused, Mildred Donkor, and frequently delivered large sums—sometimes in “Ghana Must Go” bags—to Adu-Boahene’s office near Metro TV in Labone.
He described how the cheques he presented at the banks were often sealed in envelopes and pre-approved by specific bank staff. While he was required to sign receipts and provide identification, he testified that he was never informed of the amounts he was collecting or delivering.
Dekpey stated that he never dealt directly with Angela Adjei-Boateng (A2) and that his interactions were exclusively with Adu-Boahene and Donkor.
Red Flags and Account Closures
Cromwell further revealed that in March 2023, Adu-Boahene and his wife co-signed a letter instructing UMB Bank to close all accounts under the name “BNC Communications Bureau Limited” and transfer the remaining funds to another account allegedly operated by Advantage Solutions Limited—the fourth accused.
The Prosecution believes this action was an attempt to conceal the financial trail and avoid scrutiny, particularly after Adu-Boahene left office.
