The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Ayine, has disclosed that the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu Boahene, was arrested in connection with a controversial $7 million cyber defense system contract which was diverted into his private account.
The revelation was made during a press conference on Monday, March 24, where the Attorney-General detailed the circumstances surrounding the case.
According to Mr. Ayine, the arrest was linked to alleged financial misconduct involving the transfer of public funds intended for the procurement of cybersecurity infrastructure.
Ayine said the contract was valued at $7 million, with the objective of strengthening Ghana’s ability to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats, data breaches, and digital espionage
Despite the strategic importance of the project, the Attorney-General revealed that Kwabena Adu Boahene engaged in unauthorized financial transactions, diverting funds meant for the cyber defense system.
“In his capacity as Director of the National Signals Bureau, Mr. Adu-Boahene on January 30, 2020, signed a contract on behalf on the Government of Ghana and the National Security on one hand and on the other hand, an Israeli company named RLC Holdings Limited. The contract was for the purchase of a cyber defense system software at a price of $7 million.
“On February 6, 2020, he then transferred an initial amount of GH¢27,100,000 from the National Signals Bureau account at Fidelity Bank to a private BNC account at UMB. Official documentation on the transfer reveals that the amount was for the payment of cyber defense system software. He transferred the money to his private company.”