Eugene-Baffoe-Bonnie
In the latest revelation in the trial of former Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority (NCA) and four others, it has turned out that the accused persons allegedly ‘benefited’ financially from the purchase of the controversial Pegasus cyber security equipment.
In his evidence-in-chief, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah told the court that it was Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie’s revelation that all the accused persons benefited financially from the deal that led the BNI to charge them with conspiracy to commit crime and stealing.
It also emerged that in the course of the investigations, George Derek Oppong had refunded $1 million to the NCA according to the investigator.
Led in his evidence-in-chief by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Yvonne Attakora-Obuobisa, the investigator also told the court how the accused persons ‘contradicted’ themselves with regard to the purchase of the equipment.
He told the court that there is a letter from the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) written by Alhaji Osman Mimina asking for institutional support of $8 million to purchase the equipment for use by the National Security.
He also told the court that the ‘end user certificate’ and a letter written by Mathew William Tetteh Tevie, the then Director General of NCA states that the equipment was for use by the NCA on behalf of the state.
Detective Nkrumah therefore tendered in the NSCS letter signed by the Alhaji Osman and the end user certificate signed by Mr. Tevie.
The witness also tendered in evidence a ‘confidential’ letter written by Mr. Tevie allegedly directing Ecobank Ghana Limited to keep all transactions between Infraloks Development Limited (IDL), the reseller of the equipment and the NCA, confidential.
Revelations
The investigator told the court that investigations began into the purchase of the Pegasus equipment when businessman George Derek Oppong went to the NSCS to lodge a complaint.
He told the court that Mr. Oppong told the NSCS that he had signed a contract with NCA to supply them with Pegasus equipment at the cost of $8 million which he did.
Mr. Oppong he claimed had told the NSCS that he supplied the equipment to the NCA and an amount of $4 million was paid to him as part payment.
The investigator stated that Mr. Oppong told the NSC that out of the said the $4 million paid to him by NCA, he was able to transfer $1 million to NSO technology (Israeli company) from which he bought the equipment.
“He said the remaining 4 million has not been paid to him and all efforts to get the money proved futile”, Detective Chief Inspector told the court.
He said it was based on this information that the BNI decided to invite Mr. Baffoe-Bonnie, Mr. Tetteh Tevie and Alhaji Osman Mimina for questioning.
Investigations
Detective Chief Inspector Nkrumah told the court that during his investigation he found that the contracts were indeed signed for the purchase of the equipment.
He said one of the contracts was between NCA and IDL while the other was between IDL and NSO Technologies group, an Israeli company which had supplied equipment.
He added that investigations at NCA indicated that there was no board approval for the purchase of the equipment and the transfer of the $4 million from NCA accounts to IDL.
Hearing continues on February 26, 2019, where the investigator will continue with his evidence-in-chief before cross-examination by the accused persons lawyers.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak