By Daniel Bampoe
The defence team representing former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene has concluded what legal observers describe as one of the most exhaustive cross-examinations in the ongoing GH¢49.1 million criminal trial, ending nine weeks of intense questioning of the prosecution’s third witness, Madam Mildred Donkor.
The conclusion of the witness’s testimony marks a significant stage in a case that has increasingly become a battle not only over financial transactions but also over competing narratives surrounding the handling of National Security funds, the procurement of a cyber defence system, and allegations of theft and money laundering.
Madam Donkor’s role in the proceedings has attracted particular public interest because she was initially arrested, detained, charged, and presented by investigators as an accused person in the same case. She faced allegations including conspiracy to steal and money laundering before the Attorney-General withdrew the charges and subsequently called her as a prosecution witness.
That unusual transition from accused person to state witness became a central focus of the defence strategy throughout the cross-examination led by Samuel Atta Akyea, who sought to test both her credibility and the consistency of the prosecution’s public claims.
Witness Once Described As Part Of Alleged Criminal Enterprise
When the Attorney-General first announced the case in 2025, the public narrative presented by the prosecution suggested the existence of an elaborate network through which state funds were allegedly diverted and laundered.
Madam Donkor was among the individuals initially implicated in that narrative.
However, after entering into an agreement with prosecutors and becoming a witness for the state, she returned to court in a different capacity, offering testimony that has now come under intense legal and public scrutiny.
Over nine weeks of cross-examination, the defence sought to compare her evidence in court with allegations previously advanced by the prosecution during press briefings and public statements announcing the case.
Banking Records Contradict “Secret Network” Allegations
One of the key themes emerging from the cross-examination concerned the movement of funds that form part of the prosecution’s case.
According to the defence, Madam Donkor acknowledged that the transactions under discussion were conducted through formal banking channels and were reflected in bank statements and other banking records.
The admission became significant because the Attorney-General had previously described the alleged movement of funds as occurring through what was characterized publicly as a complex web of entities and transactions.
The defence argues that the existence of documented banking trails raises questions about claims that the transactions were concealed through clandestine means.
Multiple National Security Officials Accessed Account
Another major development during the witness’s testimony concerned the account known in court proceedings as the BNC Operations Account.
Madam Donkor reportedly acknowledged that several National Security officials, including senior management personnel, the Deputy Director-General, and officials within the finance department, had access to and conducted transactions through the account.
The testimony is notable because one of the prosecution’s central allegations has been that this account was used as a private vehicle through whifor divertings were divernce maintains that the witness’s testimony supports its argument that the account functioned as an operational National Security account rather than a private personal account.
Payments to Israeli Cybersecurity Firm
The procurement of a cyber defence system from Israeli company ISC Holdings remains a central feature of the criminal proceedings.
During cross-examination, the witness reportedly acknowledged that more than GH¢9 million equivalent in foreign currency was paid to ISC Holdings.
The admission is expected to become a major point of debate because questions surrounding whether payments were made, whether equipment was delivered, and how the procurement process unfolded have remained at the heart of the case since the Attorney-General first announced the prosecution.
Corporate Activities Or Criminal Conduct?
Another issue explored during the cross-examination concerned the nature of the relationship between Madam Donkor and Adu-Boahene.
The witness reportedly testified that her interactions with the former NSB Director-General largely involved ordinary corporate and banking activities.
The defence argues that such evidence is inconsistent with suggestions that she was part of a criminal syndicate established to steal and launder public funds.
Throughout the proceedings, Atta Akyea repeatedly challenged the prosecution’s characterization of the business relationships at the centre of the case.
Advantage Solutions Under Scrutiny
The witness also provided testimony concerning Advantage Solutions Limited, a company that has featured prominently in the prosecution’s allegations.
According to the defence, Madam Donkor acknowledged that Advantage Solutions was incorporated in 2008, years before the transactions currently under scrutiny, and that the company engaged in legitimate business operations.
This aspect of the testimony is likely to feature prominently in future arguments because the prosecution has portrayed the company as a key vehicle through which funds were allegedly diverted.
The defence, however, maintains that the company’s existence and business activities predated the events forming the basis of the criminal case.
Claims of Pre-Financing National Security Operations
Perhaps one of the most significant admissions highlighted by the defence concerns allegations that Advantage Solutions and associated entities pre-financed National Security activities.
According to the defence, Madam Donkor acknowledged that the company recorded expenditures made on behalf of National Security as loans.
While she reportedly stated that she could not confirm the exact amount involved, defence counsel suggested that the value exceeded GH¢100 million, a proposition that was not rejected by the witness during questioning.
The issue of pre-financing has become increasingly important because earlier testimony from National Security officials also referenced situations in which operational activities were financed in advance due to delays in government funding releases.
Dispute Over Alleged Fixed Deposit
The cross-examination also touched on one of the Attorney-General’s earlier public allegations concerning a purported GH¢16 million fixed deposit allegedly held in Adu-Boahene’s name.
According to the defence, the witness acknowledged that there was no such fixed deposit account in the former NSB Director-General’s name.
The issue has been the subject of significant public discussion since the beginning of the prosecution and is likely to feature prominently in future legal arguments.
A Turning Point
The completion of Madam Donkor’s cross-examination represents a major milestone in a trial that has already produced several unexpected developments, including Court of Appeal orders compelling additional disclosures by the prosecution and testimony from other witnesses regarding National Security accounts and special operations procedures.
