Kwabena Adu-Boahene
Legal team for former Director-General of National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, continued their cross-examination of the prosecution’s third witness in the alleged GH¢49.1 million theft case, focusing attention on some bank transfers dating as far back as 2018.
Lead counsel, Samuel Atta Akyea, in his cross-examination of the witness, Mildred Donkor, focused on the transfer of funds from Advantage Solutions into Adu-Boahene’s personal bank account, which eventually ended in the account of the Director of Bureau of National Communications (BNC).
The transfers totaling GH¢2,050,000 were made in July 2018 and December 2018, and captured in the bank statement of Advantage Solutions, a company owned by Adu-Boahene and his wife, with the witness serving as its Director.
The witness, reading from the company’s bank statement, confirmed that there was an outward transfer of GH¢1.7 million in favour of Mr. Adu-Boahene in July and another GH¢402,000 on December 3, 2018.
“On the same day (July 9, 2018) as shown on page 82, there was an outward transfer in the sum of GH¢1,650,000 to the Fidelity Bank in favour of the Director, Bureau of National Communications, is that not so?” Mr. Atta Akyea asked.
“Yes, my Lord. I can see the GH¢1,650,000 per the document given me,” the witness answered.
“And at page 107, the sum of GH¢400,000 was transferred out to the Fidelity Bank in favour of the Director, Bureau of National Communications, is that not so,” the lawyer further asked.
“I see the GH¢400,000 transfer out per the document given me,” the witness answered.
Mr. Atta Akyea then indicated to the witness that evidently, the transfer of GH¢1,650,000 and GH¢400,000 in favour of Director, BNC at the Fidelity Bank on July 9 and December 4, 2018 were made possible by the originating outward transfers from Advantage Solutions accounts as borne out by the bank statement she read.
Madam Donkor, in response, said as she had earlier told the court, she was working under instruction from Adu-Boahene for transactions to be effected, and the document she was reading from is her boss’ statement that was generated by the bank, “so, if instruction was given to me to do it, then it was carried out.”
“From your testimony this morning, you were duly notified about the transfers to the Director, BNC account at the Fidelity Bank from Advantage Solutions Limited through A1’s (Adu-Boahene’s) account,” the lawyer asked.
“Counsel said it is my testimony but I was given documents to read after which he said I have confirmed,” the witness answered.
Account Closure
Mr. Atta Akyea then suggested to the witness that the BNC Communications Bureau Limited (one of Adu-Boahene’s companies) account with UMB was closed in 2023 based on instructions she (witness) sent to the bank via an email dated March 2, 2023.
Madam Donkor said she was working under instructions from Adu-Boahene and his wife so, if an email was sent as the lawyer indicated, then it was an instruction from one of the couple, but she could not remember the exact date.
She was then shown the said email and she said “it is an email indicating being sent from me and I still go back to my word that I do such things not on my own authority but from the instructions of A1 and A2.”
Mr. Atta Akyea then sought to tender the email in evidence, but Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, objected to the tendering on ground of relevance.
The defence lawyer, in response, said the document is an email closing the account which received the sum of GH¢49.1 million at the heart of this “criminal adjudication.”
He said it is emanating out clearly that the lifespan of the account was beyond 2020 and the court cannot close its eyes to see the matters post-dating 2020, which can “clearly explain and disprove the pathetic theory of the prosecution that the account was opened in 2020 for a criminal purpose.”
Justice Francis Achibonga overruled the objection and admitted the email. The case was adjourned to May 26 for further cross-examination of the witness.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak