Deputy AG alleges ‘deliberate campaign’ to misrepresent Adu-Boahene prosecution

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Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has alleged that there is a deliberate public and media campaign to misrepresent the criminal case against former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, insisting that the prosecution’s case is straightforward.According to him, the charges are based on allegations that public funds earmarked for the purchase of defence equipment were diverted into a private account and subsequently used for personal acquisitions.Speaking on The Law with Samson Lardy Anyenini on JoyNews on Sunday, July 26, Dr Srem-Sai dismissed suggestions that the case was complex, saying the facts before the court were clear.“I think there’s a very determined public campaign, media campaign, to create an impression. It’s a simple case, Samson.”In 2025, the Attorney-General Dominic Ayine formally charged Mr Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, over corruption offences involving an amount of GHS49 million.Together with two others, Mildred Donkor and Advantage Solutions Limited, they are accused of 11 counts of offences, including stealing, money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, and wilfully causing financial loss.According to the writ filed at the High Court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Mr Adu-Boahene, who was responsible for overseeing critical national security infrastructure, including contracts with foreign companies, signed a deal with an Israeli company, ISC Holdings Limited, to purchase cyber defence software for $7 million.In total, Adu-Boahene is alleged to have transferred approximately GHS 49 million (around $7 million) from the NSB’s funds into his personal accounts, falsely justifying these transactions as payments for the cyber defence systems, together with his accomplice.Dr Srem-Sai explained on the show that the prosecution’s case centres on the alleged movement of the public funds from a government account into a private account under the pretext of procuring defence equipment for the state.“There is public money in a public account. You have moved the public money from the public account into a private account and told the bank which did the transaction that you are using the money to go and purchase defence equipment for the state.”Dr Srem-Sai said evidence gathered by the prosecution showed that the funds were instead allegedly spent on private assets.“The evidence shows from the account into which you deposited the money that you spent the money to buy houses for yourself and other high-end cars which you were renting and using for your own good.”He maintained that the alleged conduct amounted to criminal offences involving public funds.“Our case is simple. You cannot do this with public money. It amounts to stealing or causing financial loss or any of the public financial offences. That is what we are charging for.”The Deputy Attorney-General also accused the defence of attempting to shape public opinion outside the courtroom while the trial was ongoing.He said, unlike the defence, he had deliberately refrained from commenting publicly on the merits of the case after court proceedings.“I have decided that I will not step out of court and grant interviews. But it doesn’t mean that when my opponent steps out of court and grants interviews, whatever he is saying to the public is sacrosanct.”Dr Srem-Sai further disclosed that one of the defence’s initial arguments was that the funds transferred into Adu-Boahene’s private account constituted repayment of loans he had allegedly advanced to a public institution.“They first started by saying that it was a loan. I’m sure you heard about that, that he gives loans to the public institution, and so the money moving back into his account is a repayment of the loan.”His remarks come as the trial of Mr Adu-Boahene continues, with the prosecution seeking to prove that public funds intended for national security procurement were unlawfully diverted for private use.