Lawyer Martin Kpebu has said that Ghanaians are grateful to former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene for revealing how “politicians misuse” state funds.
His comments follow Adu-Boahene’s revelations that portions of the funds he has been accused of embezzling were given to then-opposition political parties to coordinate their results in the December 2024 elections and to a special aide of a presidential aspirant.
Although the lawyer asserts that the development won’t help Adu-Boahene’s case directly and may instead impugn his reputation, he believes it has helped the nation understand how politicians spend taxpayers’ money.
According to Kpebu, Adu-Boahene’s revelations on national security dealings don’t answer the charges leveled against him. “The revelations he gave aren’t an answer to the charges he’s currently facing in court,” he said in a telephone interview on TV3’s NewDay Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
Lawyer Kpebu explained that Ghanaians are nonetheless grateful to the former spy boss, even if he’s convicted for his charges, considering how his disclosures have provided insight into how state funds are spent.
“That is not answer to the charges but we are grateful for the revelations. The revelations, even if eventually he is convicted for them, it is good that he has made the revelations so that we understand how politicians misuse our money,” he stated.
He added that the outrage stemming from the revelations serves as a caution to politicians not to misuse state funds. “The way we are angry about those revelations tells you that politicians should not misuse our monies for those purposes.”
The former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau is facing charges including stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. He has been accused of transferring funds meant to procure national security apparatus to his personal account.
But the lawyer has advised that Adu-Boahene should instead prove that the private account he transferred the funds into was authorised, per his claims.
According to Kpebu, if Adu-Boahene claims the private account was authorised for security reasons, he should provide evidence of that authorisation from then National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, since the authorisation couldn’t have been made by the National Security Coordinator.
“He’s been asked to tell us where our money is, at least, per Dr. Ayine’s case, he used a lot of the monies to buy properties from Mayfair Property –27 houses, and Dr. Ayine’s case is that, the money left the NSB account and went to Adu-Boahene’s private account and went to the account of Mayfair Property.
“We’ve heard Adu-Boahene saying that the private account was authorised for National Security purposes but so far he has not been able to prove the authorisation because the National Security Coordinator couldn’t have approved that account. It has to be the Minister, Kan Dapaah, so Adu-Boahene hasn’t shown Kan Dapaah approving the account,” he explained.
Adu Boahene’s lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, has also warned that his client may be forced to disclose further national security information to defend himself.
“The way national security matters are being raised, he should come to terms with it. That is what he was trying to do. He was not saying that he is afraid to defend himself by saying that they are pushing him into areas of national security, and when push comes to shove, he has to defend himself.
“Later, someone will ask why a national intelligence officer is trying to bring national security matters into the public domain when he has sworn an oath,” he said after proceedings in court on Tuesday, May 13, 2025.
In the meantime, Adu-Boahene is still in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) despite the court’s seven-working-day remand order having elapsed. His lawyer, Mr. Atta Akyea, had informed the court that his client had been rearrested on a separate matter after the original remand period ended.
He was originally remanded on Friday, May 2, 2025, over allegations of witness tampering.
‘Adu-Boahene wants to become a national hero’ – Kpebu on disclosure of classified information
