Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine has confirmed the arrest of Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), who is facing charges related to embezzlement, fraud, and illicit financial transactions.
Adu-Boahene, who served as the head of the NSB from 2017 until his departure in February 2025, is accused of diverting millions of Ghanaian cedis of state funds into personal accounts.
The arrest follows a complex investigation by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which began after Adu-Boahene allegedly attempted to evade authorities by flying out of the country.
On February 25th, 2025, EOCO received intelligence that Adu-Boahene had left Ghana for the UK aboard British Airways flight BA078. However, further information suggested that he had continued his travel to Dubai, where he had booked a return flight to Ghana on Emirates Flight EK187 for March 21st, 2025. On March 20th, it was revealed that Adu-Boahene had canceled his flight and rescheduled his return for April 8th.
In response, EOCO expanded its surveillance operations, considering the possibility that Adu-Boahene might have returned to London to avoid detection. The operation took a crucial turn when authorities discovered a name similar to that of Adu-Boahene on a British Airways flight, suggesting that he had altered his name in official documents. On March 21st, 2025, Adu-Boahene was intercepted by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Kotoka International Airport as he attempted to use the Commercially Important Persons (CIP) terminal.
Addressing journalists in Accra on Monday, Dr Ayine said Adu-Boahene is believed to hold multiple passports, including two service passports and potentially a foreign passport, which raises suspicions of him holding dual or multiple nationalities.
EOCO also revealed that his wife holds a British passport. The investigation into his financial dealings has uncovered significant evidence of illicit activity.
During his tenure as Director of the NSB, Adu-Boahene was responsible for overseeing critical national security infrastructure, including contracts with foreign companies. In 2020, he signed a deal with an Israeli company, ISC Holdings Limited, to purchase cyber defense software for $7 million.
However, an audit of the National Signals Bureau’s finances revealed that substantial amounts of money were transferred from the Bureau’s account to Adu-Boahene’s private company, BNC Communications Bureau Limited, which he co-owns with his wife.
In total, Adu-Boahene is alleged to have transferred approximately GHS 49 million (around $7 million) from the NSB’s funds into his personal accounts, falsely justifying these transactions as payments for the cyber defense systems.
While an initial payment of GHS 9.5 million (about $1.75 million) was transferred to ISC Holdings, no further payments were made to the company. Instead, subsequent funds were diverted for personal use, including investments and transfers to unknown parties.
Dr. Ayine confirmed that EOCO is continuing its investigation into Adu-Boahene’s financial dealings and has identified several individuals who may have received transfers from his private accounts.
The Attorney General’s office vowed to hold all those involved in this scheme accountable and ensure that justice is served.
