Raymond Archer, EOCO Boss
-By Issah Olegor
Former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, has mounted a strong defence against corruption allegations leveled against him by the Attorney-General, describing the charges as a calculated distortion of sensitive national security operations.
In a defiant handwritten memorandum from EOCO cells, Adu-Boahene insists both he and his wife Angela “would never steal public funds,” as being “deliberately and wickedly portrayed.”
The development follows the April 30, 2025 arraignment of Adu-Boahene before the Criminal Division of the High Court on multiple charges related to the alleged misuse of public funds during his tenure at the NSB.
According to Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine, the accused faces serious charges, including causing financial loss to the state and conspiracy to steal, in connection with expenditures amounting to tens of millions of cedis between 2020 and 2024.
But Adu-Boahene and his legal counsel, Zoe, Akyea & Co., argue that the case is fundamentally flawed and poses “significant national security implications.”
In a letter dated May 6, 2025, addressed to the National Security Coordinator, lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea contends that the charges violate both the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, 2020 (Act 1030) and the National Signals Bureau Act, 2020 (Act 1040)—laws that regulate the conduct, funding, and confidentiality of Ghana’s intelligence operations.
A Case Rooted in Secrecy
The core of Adu-Boahene’s defense hinges on the assertion that the funds in question were used for high-level classified national security operations.
In a confidential expenditure report attached to his memorandum, the former NSB chief disclosed details of several covert programs funded between 2020 and 2024:
Special Operations (Taurus, Scorpion, Essien 1 & 2, Hive) – GH¢9.53 million for cyber and electronic surveillance systems.
Operation Conquered Fist – GH¢6.9 million for counter-terrorism and stability operations.
Operation Calm Life – GH¢3.78 million for anti-kidnapping and violent crime suppression.
Elections Special Ops – Over GH¢14 million allocated in December 2020 and December 2024 for electoral security and logistics.
Support for Opposition Party Communications Equipment – A controversial GH¢8.3 million (approx. USD $500,000) reportedly disbursed in September 2024 to promote national cohesion and political impartiality.
These items, Adu-Boahene argued, were all sanctioned under national security protocols and conducted with the oversight of appropriate parliamentary committees.
“How does one steal public funds in the manner being described by the Attorney-General without being flagged by the Auditor-General?” he asked rhetorically.
Political Undertones and Internal Power Plays
The former NSB boss also points fingers at EOCO Director Raymond Archer, accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting facts to the Attorney-General and triggering a “sensationalized” prosecution that could compromise the government’s credibility and expose sensitive intelligence operations.
He warns that continued mishandling of the case risks public disclosure of national security activities that should remain classified.
Adu-Boahene further hinted at internal sabotage and political witch-hunting, particularly over the GH¢8.3 million disbursement linked to the 2024 elections, which has been interpreted by some as covert support for the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Critics within and outside government have questioned the legality and transparency of that transaction.
National Security on Edge
This unfolding legal and political drama has placed Ghana’s security establishment in a precarious position.
The involvement of classified programs in an open court case raises questions about how the judiciary will handle evidence that, by law, should remain confidential.
Legal experts warn that any mishandling of intelligence data in the course of prosecution could undermine ongoing operations and endanger national assets.
Meanwhile, the National Security Council is under pressure to clarify its stance.
The May 6 letter from Adu-Boahene’s legal team was also copied to the National Security Advisor and the Director-General of the NSB, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
With the case set to resume later this month, all eyes are on how the state will reconcile its duty to uphold justice with its obligation to protect national intelligence.
