The Accra High Court has rejected an application by counsel for former Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene to adjourn his trial pending the Supreme Court’s determination of a review application filed by Ofoase-Ayirebi MP Kojo Oppong Nkrumah over the continuation of selected criminal cases during the legal vacation.

Counsel for Mr Adu-Boahene, Samuel Atta Akyea, prayed the court for an adjournment of his client’s trial until September 2, when the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Mr Oppong Nkrumah’s review application, citing that the outcome of the application might affect the trial. He argued that it would therefore be prudent to wait until then.

However, Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Justice Srem-Sai, opposed the request, arguing that the prosecution had only one more day to complete its case.

He maintained that the Supreme Court had already ruled on the substantive interlocutory application relating to the legal vacation, stressing that the filing of a review application did not, on its own, bring the proceedings to a halt.

After listening to arguments from both the defence and the prosecution, Justice Francis Apanga Achibonga said he had found no rule requiring the trial to be suspended under the circumstances.

The judge explained that although a single judge had delivered the earlier Supreme Court decision, it remained binding unless it was subsequently set aside or overturned.

He consequently rejected the defence’s application for an adjournment.

Mr Adu-Boahene is standing trial together with his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, Mildred Donkor and Advantage Solutions Limited over 11 charges, including conspiracy, stealing, using public office for profit, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.

The accused persons have all pleaded not guilty and are currently on bail.

The latest development comes amid previous disagreements between the defence and prosecution over the progress and handling of the trial.

In July 2025, the High Court rejected a defence application seeking further disclosure of National Security operational account records dating back to 1992.

The defence argued that the documents could contain information relevant to the accused persons’ case.

Following the ruling, Mr Atta Akyea sought time to study the decision and consider further legal options, including an appeal or an application for a stay of proceedings.

The prosecution opposed the request, insisting that the trial should proceed without unnecessary delays.

At the time, Mr Atta Akyea accused the prosecution of withholding documents and said: “I won’t accept any ambulance trial.”

He has maintained that his approach is intended to protect due process and ensure that his client receives a fair trial, arguing that the justice system should not create an accelerated track for selected cases while other matters continue under the ordinary rules.

Adu-Boahene’s arrest, charges and trial

Adu-Boahene was arrested in March this year at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) after allegedly attempting to elude authorities using multiple passports.

Attorney-General Dominic Ayine formally charged Mr Adu-Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, with corruption offences involving GH¢49 million on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

According to the writ filed at the High Court on April 30, Mr Adu-Boahene, who was responsible for overseeing critical national security infrastructure, including contracts with foreign companies, signed a deal with an Israeli company, ISC Holdings Limited, to purchase cyber defence software for $7 million.

In total, Adu-Boahene is alleged to have transferred approximately GH¢49 million (approximately $7 million) from the NSB’s funds into his personal accounts, falsely justifying the transactions as payments for the cyber defence systems, together with his accomplice.

“Further investigations have revealed that no cybersecurity system of the description in the January 30, 2020, contract was ever received by the Bureau of National Communication or by its successor agency, the National Signals Bureau, or by the Government of Ghana,” court documents indicated.

The A-G, during a media address in March, detailed that on February 6, 2020, Adu-Boahene authorised the transfer of GH¢27.1 million from the National BNC’s account at Fidelity Bank to a private BNC account at UMB.

The stated purpose of the transaction was to facilitate the acquisition of cyber defence system software from ISC Holdings in Israel for $7 million.

Further scrutiny of the bank records showed that Mr Adu-Boahene instructed the private BNC to transfer GH¢9,537,520, equivalent to $1,750,000 at the time, to ISC Holdings.

However, the Attorney-General revealed that "Mr. Adu Boahene fraudulently attached a copy of the Government of Ghana ISC contract as well as an invoice, which he held as an invoice issued by ISC Holdings."

In addition to the initial transaction, two further payments amounting to GH¢21 million were transferred from the National BNC Director’s account at Fidelity Bank to the same private BNC account at UMB on March 18 and March 30, 2020. These payments were recorded as funding for the cyber defence system.

However, upon closer examination, it was discovered that although a total of GH¢49 million had been moved into the private BNC account, an amount equivalent to $7 million at the prevailing exchange rate, only a fraction of the money had been paid to ISC Holdings, raising concerns about the whereabouts of the remaining funds.

According to court documents, it is alleged that Adu-Boahene, his wife and Mildred “ran an elaborate criminal enterprise using A4 (Advantage Solutions Limited) as a holding company through which the stolen funds were funnelled and laundered for their own benefit.”

The documents added that, as the holding company for several subsidiary companies, including the private BNC, A4 received a substantial portion of the stolen funds, which its shareholders and directors then invested in the business activities of the subsidiaries, including investments in treasury bills, real estate, the manufacturing of fertilisers and the rental of luxury cars to VIP customers.