Court blocks Adu Boahene team from relying on disputed transfer record

An effort by lawyers for former National Signals Bureau chief Kwabena Adu Boahene to challenge a prosecution witness with a financial document was stopped in court on Monday, in the latest setback for the defence in the GH¢49.1 million cybersecurity scandal trial.

The disputed moment came during the cross-examination of Ruby Edith Adumuah, the prosecution’s second witness and the NSB’s Head of Finance.

Defence lawyers tried to introduce what they described as a Swift transfer receipt linked to Advantage Solutions, a private company associated with Adu Boahene. Their apparent aim was to use the document to question the witness in a way that suggested a connection between that transfer and the National Signals Bureau.

The prosecution quickly objected.

Led by the Deputy Attorney General, the state argued that Adumuah could not be asked to speak to the document because it did not come from her and she had no firsthand knowledge of it. The prosecution also maintained that the document did not meaningfully relate to the issues before the court.

The defence pushed back, saying that because the witness was testifying on financial matters and had identified the paper as a Swift transfer receipt, she should be allowed to answer questions on it.

Justice Francis Achibonga disagreed.

In his ruling, the judge upheld the prosecution’s objection, pointing out that the witness lacked direct personal knowledge of the document. He also noted that her own description of it had been uncertain, particularly because she had used the word “seem” when referring to it.

That hesitation, in the court’s view, made it unsafe to proceed with questioning on the basis of the document.

The ruling leaves Adu Boahene’s legal team without that line of attack as the trial continues over allegations that the former security chief stole GH¢49.1 million belonging to the NSB.