Emmanuel Mensah
An Accra High Court has dismissed an attempt by former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene to tender WhatsApp conversations as evidence in his ongoing criminal trial, ruling that the material bears no relevance to the charges before the court.
The defence, led by Samuel Atta Akyea, sought to introduce the messages during cross-examination of the second prosecution witness, Edith Ruby Aduamoah, who serves as Director of Finance at the NSB. The legal team argued that the exchanges highlighted financial requests allegedly made by the witness to the first accused, and were therefore central to the case.
During proceedings, the witness acknowledged portions of the WhatsApp conversations, confirming some of the exchanges while indicating she could not recall others.
However, the prosecution, led by Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, strongly objected to the admission of the chats. The prosecution maintained that the content of the messages did not relate to the substance of the charges and would not assist the court in determining the case.
In his ruling, presiding judge Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga upheld the objection, noting that although the messages contained references to financial figures, there was no proof that any payments were made. He further indicated that the conversations failed to establish any connection to the allegations before the court.
As a result, the document was rejected and marked for identification purposes only.
Mr. Adu-Boahene, alongside his wife Angela Adjei-Boateng and a third accused entity, Advantage Solutions Limited, is facing multiple charges, including the alleged misappropriation of GH¢49.1 million earmarked for a cybersecurity defence system. All accused persons have pleaded not guilty.
The trial continues with the prosecution expected to call additional witnesses. The case has been adjourned to April 27, 2026.
