During the trial of former Director-General of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the fourth prosecution witness informed the Accra High Court that an investigation revealed that GH¢49.1 million was moved from a BNC account to a private company owned by the accused and his wife.
Frank Marshall Cromwell, a Staff Officer at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), disclosed that the transfers were made using three cheques signed by Mr Adu-Boahene in 2020 while he was still serving as the BNC Director.
The investigations were prompted by information received by EOCO in March 2025, alleging the misappropriation of public funds at BNC.
Mr Cromwell, who spearheaded the investigations, mentioned that the funds were shifted from a Fidelity Bank account owned by BNC to an account held by BNC Communications Bureau Limited at Universal Merchant Bank (UMB).
He provided his testimony during the examination-in-chief conducted by Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, on June 22.
Mr Adu-Boahene, along with his wife and their company, Advantage Solutions Limited, are currently on trial for offenses related to the handling and utilization of public funds.
Key points from the witness’s testimony:
– Records from Fidelity Bank indicated that three cheques totaling GH¢27.1 million, GH¢1 million, and GH¢21 million were drawn from the BNC account and deposited into BNC Communications Bureau Limited’s account.
– The witness expressed concerns about the similarity between the names “BNC Operations” on the cheques and “BNC Communications Bureau Limited – Operations” on the deposit slips, suggesting it could lead to fraudulent activities.
– Investigations revealed that the Fidelity Bank account was linked to the National Security Council Secretariat and operated under the name “Director BNC,” with Mr Adu-Boahene and another official as signatories.
– The UMB account of BNC Communications Bureau Limited was opened on the same day the first cheque was signed, and documents showed that the company was established in October 2018 with Mr Adu-Boahene and his wife as directors.
– Ms Adjei-Boateng was identified as the beneficial owner of BNC Communications Bureau Limited, with Advantage Solutions Limited as its sole shareholder.
– During questioning, Ms Adjei-Boateng denied knowledge of BNC Communications Bureau Limited, despite being listed as the beneficial owner and signatory, while Mr Adu-Boahene initially denied knowledge but later admitted awareness after further discussions with investigators.
– The former Head of Finance at BNC, Edith Ruth, acknowledged depositing two cheques into the UMB account but stated she was following Mr Adu-Boahene’s instructions and was unaware of the transactions’ purpose.
