Lawyer for former National Signals Bureau boss Kwabena Adu-Boahen, Samuel Atta Akyea, says he expects to end his cross-examination of the prosecution’s fourth witness today.
He was speaking to the media yesterday after court proceedings.
The case involves Adu-Boahen and others who are facing charges over the alleged dissipation of GHS 49.1 million said to be meant for national security operations. The accused persons have pleaded not guilty.
In court yesterday, the fourth prosecution witness, Mr. Frank Marshall Cromwell, an investigator with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), made two key admissions.
First, he told the court: “I am not aware that the National Security and Intelligence Agencies operate Special Operations Accounts.” – Metro TV reported.
Second, he admitted that there were withdrawals whose destinations his investigation could not establish, so he formed the opinion that these payments were part of the dissipated GHS 49.1 million.
Lawyer Atta Akyea is challenging that opinion. Speaking the Press after court, he argued that if the investigator did not do a reconciliation of accounts, he cannot conclude that money was stolen.
“I want you to just listen to him, that he didn’t go into reconciliation of accounts because monies were raised for the benefit of national security operations. So if he didn’t do reconciliation, how can you say somebody has stolen money? What if national security is yet to pay refunds?” he asked.
The defence insists the monies were used for secret national security operations from private sources linked to Adu-Boahen.
The trend so far has seen the prosecution presenting investigator, Accountant, others as witness and documents to prove alleged misappropriation, while the defence is pushing that intelligence work often involves private accounts that are not publicly reconciled.
Cross-examination continues today.
“We are playing around 60 questions. So if you trim it to maybe 40, we should be able to, I mean, conclude within three hours” – Atta Kyea pledges not to abuse the extension granted by the Accra High court.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Ebenezer Madugu
