Attorney-General,Dominic Akuritinga Ayine on  Wednesday, accused the former intelligence chief,Kwabena Adu-Boahen of funneling millions of cedis in public funds into a private company he jointly owned with his wife, under the pretense of delivering government internet services.

Dr. Ayine said that Ghana Water Limited (GWL), the state-run water utility, paid as much as GHS1.5 million ($100,000) per month to BNC Communications Bureau Limited, a firm controlled by Kwabena Adu Boahen, the former head of the National Signals Bureau. The payments were made under a contract originally intended to route funds to a government agency responsible for secure communications.

The scheme, according to Dr. Ayine, was uncovered during an ongoing criminal investigation that led to Adu Boahen’s recent arrest. Officials say the arrangement began with a monthly transfer of GHS1.3 million, which later increased to GHS1.5 million.

“Instead of directing payments to the National Signals Bureau, Mr. Boahen instructed Ghana Water to send the money to his private company’s bank account,” Dr. Ayine said at a press briefing in Accra. “This money was meant for state services. What happened was outright diversion of public funds.”

GWL is said to have made the payments in biweekly tranches of GHS650,000 over several months. Officials say the company believed it was paying for secure internet access provided by the Bureau, which is now the National Signals Bureau.

Dr. Ayine described the transactions as part of a “criminal enterprise,” adding that the funds were deposited directly into accounts controlled by Adu Boahen and his wife.

Source:TheDotNews