Errand boy gives heavy testimony against Adu-Boahene in GH¢49m corruption case

Errand Boy and Others Testify Against Adu-Boahene in GH¢49.1 Million Corruption Case

Three key testimonies were presented in court against Kwabena Adu-Boahene. He is the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB). His wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, and associate Mildred Donkor are also involved. They face multiple charges, including stealing public funds.

Adu-Boahene is accused of diverting GH¢49.1 million from the Bureau of National Communications. The trial includes testimonies from lead investigator Frank Marshall Cromwell and NSB Finance Director Edith Ruby Opokua Adumua. Frank Anane Dekpey, an errand boy, also provided evidence.

The errand boy testified that he often withdrew large sums from UMB and Stanbic banks. He transported money in large "Ghana Must Go" bags for delivery. He confirmed making deposits into a Stanbic account linked to “Vertex Solutions,” associated with the accused.

Adumuah testified about her role as custodian of cheque books. She was instructed to write cheques for large amounts, labeled ambiguously as Bureau operations. Due to security policies, she believed these accounts were legitimate but later learned they belonged to a private company owned by Adu-Boahene and his wife.

She recalled writing three cheques totaling GH¢49.1 million for Bureau operations. Trusting their legitimacy, she deposited the funds into a UMB account as directed by Adu-Boahene. She noted that reasons for payments were never disclosed to her.

Cromwell's testimony revealed that the investigation began in March 2025 after a tip-off. It uncovered that Adu-Boahene signed a contract in January 2020 with ISC Holdings Limited for a US$7 million cyber defense system. Investigators found he diverted GH¢49.1 million from the Bureau’s Fidelity Bank account into a private company account at UMB Bank.

Cromwell explained that this UMB account was opened just one day before depositing the first cheque of GH¢49.1 million. Only a small portion of US$1.75 million was transferred to ISC Holdings before Adu-Boahene allegedly spent the rest lavishly.