Former NCA boss, 4 others charged for causing financial loss

Millions of dollars have been found missing from the National Communications Authority (NCA).
This financial malfeasance has been blamed on some members of the previous board under the John Mahama administration.

The former Board Chairman of NCA Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, and four others, have been charged and arraigned for wilfully causing financial loss to the State contrary to section 23(1) and section 179(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act 29.

The five persons have also been charged for 16 other offences.

Mr Baffoe-Bonnie had paid $40,000 out of his share of $200,000 from a total amount of $4 million meant for buying phone tapping gadgets.

After reportedly admitting that they took $4 million unlawfully from the state kitty, some former members of the board of the NCA said they were prepared to refund the cash when they appeared before the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), which is probing the graft.

The $4 million was meant to pay an Israeli company which had a contract with the government.

The contract, worth $8 million, was meant to buy ‘spying and phone tapping’ equipment for the National Security Secretariat, but $4 million out of the total amount ended up in private accounts, with $1.5 million of the money going to the NCA board of directors.

The five accused persons pleaded not guilty when their plea was taken after the Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo read the facts of the State.
Three of the accused persons present in court were granted bail by Justice Eric Kyei Baffour’s court to the tune of 3 million dollars with 3 sureties and are to surrender their passports to the court Registrar.

The accused persons are expected to reappear in court on Tuesday January 9, 2018.