Adu-Boahene was arrested for allegedly diverting over $7m into private accounts – AG

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Ayine, announced the arrest of Kwabena Adu-Boahene. He is the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB). His arrest relates to alleged financial misconduct involving a $7 million cyber defense contract.

Mr. Ayine shared details during a press conference on March 24. He stated that Adu-Boahene misappropriated public funds meant for cybersecurity infrastructure.

The $7 million contract aimed to improve Ghana’s ability to handle cyber threats. However, investigations indicate that funds were diverted for personal use.

Adu-Boahene signed the contract on January 30, 2020. He did this on behalf of both the government and the National Security Ministry. The agreement was with an Israeli firm, RLC Holdings Limited, for cyber defense software.

Despite its importance, Adu-Boahene engaged in unauthorized transactions. On February 6, 2020, he allegedly transferred GH¢27.1 million from NSB’s Fidelity Bank account to a private account.

This private account belonged to BNC, a firm he established with his wife. The transaction was falsely documented as payment for the software.

Further investigations revealed that these funds went to Adu-Boahene's private company instead of being used for government purposes.

Dr. Ayine explained that Adu-Boahene signed a contract with RLC Holdings Limited for $7 million worth of software. He then transferred GH¢27,100,000 from NSB's account to his private company’s account at UMB.

According to Dr. Ayine, Adu-Boahene and his wife acquired several properties in Ghana and abroad during this time. They are currently in detention while authorities pursue other suspects for prosecution.

The Attorney-General reaffirmed the government's commitment to fighting financial irregularities. He emphasized strengthening oversight mechanisms to prevent future misconduct.