The Accra High Court has dismissed an application by former Director-General of the National Security Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and three others seeking further disclosures from the National Security Secretariat that they claimed could exonerate them from ongoing criminal charges.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, July 3, the presiding judge, Justice Eugene Nyadu Nyantei, rejected a motion filed by lawyers for Adu-Boahene, led by Samuel Atta Akyea.The defense team had sought to compel the state to release operational account records of past National Security Coordinators dating as far back as 1992. They also asked the court to direct the Attorney-General’s office to provide missing pages in the documents already disclosed.
The defense argued that full disclosure of these records was essential to expose what they described as selective prosecution and to prove the innocence of the accused .Filed on June 23 and served on the Office of the Attorney-General, the application specifically requested financial account records of the National Security Coordinators spanning six successive administrations—from the era of Jerry John Rawlings to the current Mahama administration.
Addressing the court, Atta Akyea accused the Attorney-General of cherry-picking documents that support the state’s case while withholding potentially exculpatory material. “It is not within the discretion of the Attorney-General to determine which disclosures are palatable and which are not. The prosecution cannot be allowed to build its case while depriving the accused of material that could establish their innocence,” he argued.
He further stated that the state’s partial disclosure of the National Security Coordinator’s Special Operations account opened the door for a broader review of financial transactions under all administrations.
However, Deputy Attorney-General, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, opposed the motion, describing it as a “fishing expedition” that had no bearing on the specific charges before the court He explained that the prosecution’s case is centered on allegations that Adu-Boahene, Angela Adjei Boateng, Mildred Donkor, and their company, Advantage Solutions Limited, misappropriated state funds by transferring money from a government account into a private entity they created.
In his ruling, Justice Nyantei dismissed the defense’s request and directed them to file their disclosures. He further indicated that the substantive trial would commence on July 18. Reacting to the ruling, Atta Akyea requested a short adjournment, stating that the defense team needed time to study the court’s reasoning and decide whether to file an appeal or apply for a stay of proceedings.
“Ordinarily, an order of this nature ought to come with a week’s suspension to give room for contemplation. We are entitled to understand the full scope of your ruling before deciding on our next legal steps,” he submitted.
Dr. Srem Sai, however, resisted the request and urged the court to proceed without delay. This prompted a sharp rebuttal from Atta Akyea, who accused the prosecution of suppressing vital documents while pushing for what he described as a rushed process. “The Attorney-General is hiding documents—you say you want to go on trial. I won’t accept any ambulance trial,” he stated.
