Adu-Boahene acquitted on two counts, wife and company to open defence

Former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, has been acquitted and discharged on two criminal charges in the GH¢49.1 million cybersecurity procurement trial. The Accra High Court, headed by Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga, ruled that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence to link him to the alleged offences, which included fraud by false pretences and obtaining public property by false statements.

Count five accused him of defrauding the government of approximately GH¢49.1 million under the pretense of procuring a cybersecurity system in early 2020. Count nine charged him with obtaining public property through false statements, specifically claiming that he falsely represented a cyber defence system procurement from ISC Holdings Limited to facilitate the acquisition of the GH¢49.1 million.

The court found the prosecution's evidence insufficient to establish Adu-Boahene's involvement in these two offences. His wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, is set to open her defence on counts four, eight, 10 and 11, while their company, Advantage Solutions, listed as the third accused party (A3), will also be required to respond to counts 10 and 11.

This acquittal is a significant milestone in the ongoing trial, which centers on allegations surrounding the transfer and disbursement of the GH¢49.1 million allocated for the cybersecurity system procurement. Although Adu-Boahene has been acquitted on two counts, he and the other accused individuals will still need to address the remaining charges as the trial transitions into the defence phase.