Former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu Boahene was detained in relation to a contentious $7 million cyber defense system deal that was transferred into his personal account, according to Attorney-General and Justice Minister Dominic Ayine.
The Attorney-General made the disclosure when outlining the case’s circumstances at a press conference on Monday, March 24.
The arrest was connected to suspected financial malfeasance involving the transfer of public monies meant for the purchase of cybersecurity infrastructure, Mr. Ayine stated.
According to Ayine, the $7 million deal aims to improve Ghana’s capacity to identify, stop, and react to cyberthreats, 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.”
