GHc49.1m NSB scandal: EOCO witness exposes huge gap between Adu-Boahen’s salary and luxury properties

The ongoing trial of former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahen and his wife, Angela Adjei-Boateng, has taken a dramatic turn after an Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) investigator told the High Court that the couple’s vast property portfolio is entirely inconsistent with their known earnings.

Testifying on Wednesday, July 1, as the prosecution’s fourth witness (PW4), EOCO Staff Officer Frank Marshall Cromwell delivered a damning assessment of the assets amassed by the former spy agency chief.

Salary vs. Properties: A Staggering Disparity

According to PW4, investigators reviewed Adu-Boahen’s salary records between 2017 and 2019 and established that he earned an average monthly salary of approximately GH¢5,000 in 2017, GH¢6,000 in 2018, and GH¢7,000 in 2019. These modest earnings were then compared against a string of high-value properties allegedly acquired by the couple, leading investigators to conclude that the assets appeared wildly disproportionate to the income on record.

Cromwell told the court that investigators identified seven properties at the upscale Mayfair Garden Estate, a 27-unit apartment complex at Oyarifa Delsize Park, and another property at Dolchetser Heights in Asokore Mampong—all of which were subsequently made subject to court-issued freezing orders.

On March 21, 2025, EOCO investigators, accompanied by Adu-Boahen, his wife, and their lawyers, visited Mayfair Garden Estate to verify the existence of these properties.

The Money Trail: How State Funds Were Allegedly Diverted

The investigator revealed a complex web of transactions designed to obscure the origin of the funds. PW4 testified that EOCO traced a GH¢1.5 million transfer from the UMB Bank account of BNC Communications Bureau Limited—a company linked to the accused—to Advantage Solutions, before the funds were ultimately transferred to Mayfair Garden Estate.

Cromwell further testified that investigators observed additional payments made through accounts linked to Advantage Solutions, Vertex Solutions, and another company they associated with the accused persons.

Background: The GH¢49.1 Million Cyber Defence Scandal

The couple is standing trial over allegations involving the misappropriation of GH¢49.1 million in state funds intended for a national cyber defence project. Prosecutors allege that Adu-Boahen, while serving as NSB Director-General, unlawfully moved the money from the National Security Coordinator’s Special Operations Account into private companies linked to him and his wife.

Earlier testimony revealed that only GH¢9.5 million of the GH¢49.1 million actually reached the Israeli supplier, ISC Holdings, for the cybersecurity system. The remainder was allegedly diverted for personal use.

The prosecution also presented evidence that Adu-Boahen and his wife issued three cheques totaling $7 million into a bank account jointly owned by them, and shortly after making the sole legitimate payment to the Israeli firm, instructed the bank to close the accounts.

‘Special Operations’ Claim Dismissed as Afterthought

In a further blow to the defence, Cromwell told the court on Thursday, July 2, that Adu-Boahen’s claim that part of the money was used for “special operations” was not supported by investigators’ findings. He described the explanation—contained in a memo dated May 6, 2025—as a mere afterthought.

By August 2020, almost all the funds had been depleted, leaving only about GH¢600,000 in the account.

The Charges and What Lies Ahead

Adu-Boahen, his wife Angela Adjei-Boateng, and their company, Advantage Solutions Limited, face 11 charges including stealing, conspiracy to steal, defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, using public office for profit, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Both accused persons have pleaded not guilty and are contesting the prosecution’s case.

The case has been adjourned to Friday, July 3, 2026, for the commencement of cross-examination of the EOCO investigator by defence counsel, led by prominent lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea. All eyes will be on the High Court as the defence begins its bid to dismantle the prosecution’s narrative of grand corruption at the highest levels of state security.