An Accra Human Rights Court has reviewed the bail conditions of Kwabena Adu Boahene, the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), after his legal team argued that the initial terms were excessive. The court reduced his bail sum from GH¢120 million to GH¢80 million, with two sureties, one of which must be justified.

His wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, retains her GH¢80 million bail condition with two sureties to be justified. Both are required to report to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) three times weekly and are restricted from traveling without EOCO’s approval.

The couple, arrested last week over alleged embezzlement of state funds, sought a bail review, contending that the conditions were excessively punitive. Their lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea Esq, emphasized that the GH¢120 million demand for Adu Boahene and GH¢80 million for his wife was not only severe but also seemingly designed to bypass constitutional detention limits.

During a court session on Friday, March 28, Atta Akyea successfully argued for the reduction. However, Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem Sai opposed the request, labeling the couple as flight risks. He alleged that they might possess foreign passports aside from their Ghanaian ones.

Additionally, Justice Srem Sai disclosed that Angela Adjei Boateng attempted to destroy evidence by loading suspected currency bills into suitcases on the night her husband’s arrest was announced.

Background

EOCO arrested Adu Boahene at Kotoka International Airport upon his return from London on a British Airways flight. His wife was also detained when she visited EOCO to check on him. The Attorney-General, Dr. Ayine, revealed that their arrests were linked to financial misconduct in a $7 million cyber defense contract.

The contract, signed on January 30, 2020, between the Ghanaian government and Israeli firm RLC Holdings Limited, was meant to strengthen national cybersecurity. However, investigations indicate that funds intended for the project were misappropriated.

According to the AG’s report, just days after signing the agreement, Adu Boahene transferred GH¢27.1 million from the NSB’s Fidelity Bank account into a private UMB account belonging to BNC, a company he co-owns with his wife. The transaction was allegedly disguised as a payment for the cyber defense system.

Further investigations suggest that the diverted funds were laundered through real estate investments in Ghana and abroad.