The former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, has been formally charged with stealing.

He is facing multiple criminal charges over his alleged involvement in a procurement scandal that cost the state GH¢49.1 million.

Filed by the Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the High Court, the charges accuse Mr Adu-Boahene and three others of misappropriating public funds under the pretext of procuring a cyber defence system for Ghana.

The co-accused include his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, Mildred Donkor, and Advantage Solutions Limited.

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According to the charge sheet, on or about February 5, 2020, Mr Adu-Boahene dishonestly appropriated GH¢27.1 million belonging to the Republic of Ghana "with the intention of depriving the Government of Ghana of the said amount".

A second incident occurred on or about March 20, 2020, when he allegedly misappropriated another GH¢1 million under the guise of procuring a cyber defence system for the Republic of Ghana from ISC Holdings Limited, an Israeli firm.

The charge sheet stated that on March 30, 2020, Mr Adu-Boahene again dishonestly took GH¢21 million from state coffers under the guise of procuring a cyber defence system for the Republic of Ghana from ISC Holdings Limited, bringing the total sum to GH¢49.1 million.

Mr Adu Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, are jointly charged with conspiracy to steal the GH¢49.1 million during February and March 2020.

According to the charge sheet, the two agreed to act together to unlawfully take the funds "with the intention of depriving the Government of Ghana of the said amount".

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The former NSB boss is also accused of wilfully causing financial loss to the state contrary to Section 179A (3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The charge sheet stated that by pretending to acquire a cyber defence system from ISC Holdings Limited, Mr Adu Boahene deliberately caused the nation to lose the entire GH¢49.1 million.

Additionally, the charge sheet revealed that Mr Adu-Boahene abused his public office for personal gain.

It said that while Mr Adu-Boahene was serving as Director of the Bureau of National Communication, he allegedly exploited his position to facilitate the fraudulent transactions of GH¢49.1 million for private benefit.

The charge sheet further said that Angela Adjei Boateng is charged with collaborating with Mr Adu Boahene to commit the offence of using public office for profit, contrary to Section 179C(b) of Act 29. She is accused of facilitating the abuse of office that enabled the misappropriation.

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Mr Adu-Boahene also faces a charge under the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140), for allegedly obtaining GH¢49.1 million by falsely claiming it was used to purchase a cyber defence system.

In a charge under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2020 (Act 1044), Mr Adu-Boahene, Angela Adjei Boateng, Mildred Donkor, and Advantage Solutions Limited are accused of knowingly taking possession of funds derived from the alleged theft.

Finally, all four accused persons face an eleventh charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, also under Act 1044, for allegedly agreeing to act together in laundering the misappropriated GH¢49.1 million.