Adu Boahen trial: Judge disallows tendering of 2020 BNC budget

An Accra High Court has refused an attempt by the defence in the Kwabena Adu-Boahene trial to place a 2020 Bureau of National Communications budget document before the court.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga during proceedings in the case involving allegations of the theft of GH¢49.1 million within the national security system.

The disputed document surfaced during the continued cross-examination of Edith Ruby Opokua Adumuah, Head of Finance at the National Security Bureau, who is appearing as a prosecution witness.

Defence lawyer Samuel Atta-Akyea sought to tender the document, which he said had been obtained from the Ministry of Finance website and dated 10 January 2020. He argued that it contained figures relating to the Bureau of National Communications and had been identified in the course of questioning.

But the prosecution, led by Assistant State Attorney Esi Yankah, objected to its admission, arguing that the hard copy presented in court did not satisfy the legal requirements under the Electronic Transactions Act.

In his ruling, Justice Achibonga agreed with the prosecution and held that the document had not been properly authenticated. He said it did not qualify as an electronic transaction document in the form presented and therefore could not be admitted.

Following the decision, the defence asked for an adjournment to enable it to secure the proper version of the budget document for use in the trial.

Earlier in the sitting, Ms Adumuah told the court that, in her role as finance head, she had not detected or reported any missing funds linked to the alleged GH¢49.1 million.

She said she was unable to point to any audit finding, management query or complaint within the national security structure indicating that such an amount had gone missing.

The witness also stated that she had not reported any such issue to the Attorney-General, the Police or the Auditor-General.

However, when it was suggested to her that there had been no theft within the national security space, she said she could not confirm that position.

She further told the court that she did not know the specific purpose for which certain cheques, including sums of GH¢27 million and GH¢1 million, had been approved by the National Security Coordinator.

She also said she did not know the source of the GH¢49.1 million at the centre of the trial, although she acknowledged that the figure formed part of the annual budget she prepared for the BNC.

Adu-Boahene, a former Director of the National Signals Bureau, is standing trial with his wife and two others on 11 charges, including stealing, money laundering, causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, collaboration to commit crime and abuse of public office.

All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty.