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The Head of Finance at the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Edith Ruby Opokua Adumuah, has denied ever handling or having knowledge of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC) operations account with United Merchant Bank (UMB). Testifying under cross-examination before the Accra High Court, Adumuah, who appeared as the second prosecution witness (PW2), also denied ever seeing a letter allegedly authored by the late Joshua Kyeremeh, former National Security Coordinator, authorizing the establishment of the said account. The witness made the assertion during cross-examination by Samuel Atta-Kyea, lead defence counsel for Kwabena Adu-Boahene, former Director of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC), and two others. The Deputy Attorney-General (DAG), Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, appeared together with Esi Yankah and Rabiatu Abdulai for the State. Dual Transactions Responding to questions from the defence, Adumuah explained that she occasionally assisted the first accused (A1) in carrying out both official and personal transactions. “The official transactions included deposits, withdrawals, renting of shares, and reviewing of bank statements. Personal transactions involved collecting money on his behalf from his bank when instructed,” she said. She clarified that she could distinguish official transactions from personal ones because she had access to official cheque books and bank statements, but was not authorized to handle personal financial records. During her testimony, Adumuah confirmed that she had earlier tendered in evidence an invoice with serial number NSC006 for the purchase of a digital investigative audit system. When shown another invoice from ISC Holding Limited, bearing the same serial number but for a cyber-defence system, she acknowledged it was the first time she had seen the duplicate, which had been shown to her by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for verification. She noted that her department found no record of payment for the latter invoice. “In accounting practice, it is unusual to have two invoices with the same serial number,” she told the court and added that “It is likely one of them was an error.” Adumuah confirmed that EOCO invited her to clarify financial matters related to the Bureau, but insisted she was not treated as a suspect. She, however, admitted that she was granted bail after her interaction with investigators. “I was of the opinion that anybody who goes to answer questions is granted bail,” she said, denying that she received any special treatment. She further disclosed that she went to EOCO on the instructions of her boss, Dr. Atta Boateng, then Director-General of the NSB, and met with the former EOCO Executive Director, Mr. Bashiru, who referred her to investigators. Religious Line of Questioning In a dramatic moment, Mr. Atta-Kyea asked the witness about her religious affiliation and whether the release of one Mildred Donkor—originally the third accused but later made a prosecution witness—affected her conscience. The Deputy Attorney-General objected, arguing that the question was irrelevant. The court upheld the objection, asking counsel to rephrase. When the question was rephrased, Adumuah responded:“I did not have any opinion about it.” Background and Structure Adumuah, who joined the National Security setup in 2007 during the Kufuor Administration, explained that she initially served as an Assistant Analyst before being posted to the Finance Department in 2008. She later became Head of Finance at BNC in 2015 under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya, then Director of the Bureau. She confirmed that the BNC was a department under the National Security Coordinator and that the Coordinator had the authority to open operational bank accounts and designate signatories. “Operational accounts opened by the National Security Coordinator are never private accounts,” she stated firmly. Dispute Over UMB Account When asked whether she knew about a BNC operations account opened at UMB, Adumuah said she only learned of its existence during her EOCO interrogation. “In my entire work as Head of Finance, I never dealt with the BNC operations account with UMB,” she said emphatically. The court later directed the defence counsel to rephrase the question to avoid confusion over her designation, after the prosecution objected that she was the Head of Finance at BNC, not the National Security Secretariat. The hearing continues next week, November 12, where further cross-examination of the witness is expected. Dr Justice Srem-Sai, Deputy AG leads Opokua Adumuah to give evidence in chief Q. You told the court that you help A1 to carry out bank transactions. Kindly tell the court the forms such transactions take? A. The transactions were both official and personal. The official transaction included deposits, withdrawals, renting of share and reviewing of bank statements. The personal transactions was for me to collect monies on his behalf from his banks. Usually he will send a message to the bank relationship officer and then the relationship officer will ask me to endorse the back of the letter and the money is given. Q. Is there any way that you are able to distinguish between the official transactions that you perform for A1 and the other that you perform for him in his personal capacity? A. The official transaction- cheque books and banks statements. Personally I’m unable to request for bank statements and I don’t keep a cheque book. Q. In your testimony on the last adjourned date, you tendered in evidence an invoice with serial number NSC006 for the purchase of a digital investigative audit system. Kindly take a look at this also from ISC Holding with serial number NSC006, but for the purchase of a cyberdefense system and tell my lord if you have seen this second invoice before? A. Yes my lord. The first time I saw it was when EOCO brought it to the office to enquire whether we have this invoice number NSC006 for the procurement of cybersecurity defence in our system. We did not find any payment done on the invoice. Q. Tell my lord if you in your position would be aware of all payments that are made on behalf of your institution and if so how will you get to know? A. I will usually know any payment done on the bank account and even if any transfer is done without my knowledge I will see it on the bank statement at the end of the day. Q. In your system, tell my Lord, if it is possible to have two different purchases with the same invoice serial number for the same supplier? A. No, my lord. Usually in accounting and invoice practices, you don’t find two different invoices having the same invoice serial number. Q. You have seen two invoices for the purchase of two different equipment on two different occasions from the same supplier ISC Holding bearing the same invoice number. Please tell the court what this mean in your accounting system? A. Is likely one will be an error. DAG: We are done with examination in chief. Cross examination by Atta Akyea -Defence Counsel Q. You testified that it was EOCO that delivered the invoice allegedly from ISC Holdings Limited for your confirmation? Q. Is it an admission that you had not seen that invoice before? Q. But, did you, National Security, question the source of that invoice? Q. What church do you attend if any? A. I’m a Baptist Q. And you do not have any association with the Assemblies of God church. Do you? A: … I have attended a few of their programs Q. Do you know a lady called Mildred Donkor? Q. Tell the court how you know this lady? A. The first time I met her was my boss who sent me Q. When you say your boss you are referring to A1? Q. Are you aware that from inception Mildred Donkor was the third accused person in this case? Q. And did it come to your notice that the office of the Attorney-General released her as an accused person and converted her into a witness? A. Yes I saw it on social media Q. Tell the Court how this change of status weather ministered to your spiritual sensibilities? Deputy Attorney General (DAG): Objection. Ground is relevance, it is true that cross examination is at large but we know that it is true that this court is not into spiritual matters so a question that seeks to elicit spiritual sensibilities of the witness cannot be relevant. Atta-Kyea: I’m in the province of cross examination and not examination in chief. The witness has stated previously that she is a Baptist and had even attended event at the Assemblies of God Church. What I seek from the witness is she being a Christian, and an accused person has been made a witness how her conscience process this. Court: Objection upheld question rephrase Q. Tell the Court how this change of status of Mildred Donkor come to you? how did it minister to your conscience A. I did not have any opinion about it. Q. When you started dealing with EOCO, did you know that you were an accused person or a witness? A. No. It was my boss Dr Atta Boateng who asked me to go to EOCO and see the Executive Director to explain matters to him. Q. There are two roles either you are an accused or a witness? DAG: Objection. When you are dealing with law enforcement it is not only two roles. There are many roles – it could be someone who is just assisting, it could be what we called an asset, and it could also be an informant. There could be many roles. Atta-Kyea: There is no objection. These are semantics. Court: Objection upheld, question to be rephrased. Q. Who is Mr Atta Boateng? DAG: Objection: The question is answered . The witness said Dr Atta Boateng is her boss. Atta-Kyea: I don’t intend to respond to the objection Court: Objection upheld Q. What is the designation of Dr Atta Boateng relative to your employment? A. The current Director General of National Signals Bureau. Q. On the instructions of Dr Atta Boateng who did you meet in EOCO? A. I went to see the Executive Director Q. There used to be an Executive Director called Mr Bashiru and we have the current one Mr Raymond Archer. Which of them did you meet? A. I met Mr Bashiru Q. Were you referred to a team of investigators? A. Yes. After speaking to him he also referred me to speak to others Q. The investigators you met did they treat you as a witness or a suspect? A. They asked me questions and showed me documents Q. We’re you admitted to bail ? Q. That should have ministered to you that you are under arrest? A. No. I was of the opinion that any body who goes for questions is granted bail Q. Did you inform your boss that now after talking to EOCO you have to be admitted to bail? A. I told him the following day when I went to work Q. What were the bail conditions EOCO granted to you? A. Someone was to guarantee that anytime they need me I will voluntarily come so the person submitted a copy of his ID that was all. Q. You want to tell this court that there was no bail sum? Q. You are telling this court that EOCO was giving you preferential treatment in terms of the bail? A. I’m not aware of any preferential treatment Q. But do you remember your boss Kwabena Adu Boahene was detained for a long time? Q. Do you know whether Dr Atta Boateng intervened on behalf of Kwabena Adu Boahene relating to his bail by EOCO? A. I’m not aware Q. Did you write a statement for EOCO? Q. Was it a witness statement or investigation caution statement? A. I cannot remember Q. Let me jolt your memory. The investigator informed you that “I’m investigating a case of ….against you and that you are reminded of your rights to counsel.” Did this conversation take place between you and the investigator? A. I cannot remember Q. Did you go to EOCO with a lawyer? Q. Was it Dr Atta Boateng who got you a lawyer so you engage EOCO? Q. Why did you go to EOCO with a lawyer when it was because of the prompting of your boss that you attend to their invitation. DAG: Objection on ground of relevance . Of what relevance is the whole idea of legal representation which is a fundamental human right to the common sense that if I’m invited or I’m to see a law enforcement agency you go with a lawyer just in case any situation the witness has indicated clearly that she chose to go with a lawyer that is a human right a completely independent of what your employers decide to do and this is of no moment to the allegations of stealing by the accused person. Secondly the witness essence is to testify to the essential issue…Animis Firidi (Fraudulent intent which accompanies the actus reuse of moving the money from the account of the public entity into A1 provide private company account. Atta-Kyea: the Court of Appeal has decided in the case Mrs Evelyn Frimponmma Owusu….the full understanding of what cross examination is supposed to achieved. One of the aims of cross examination is to test the integrity, if any of the witness. It is also an avenue to put across the case of the accused persons or a party and therefore it’s not for the A-G to determine what questions are relevant under cross examination. Court: Are you saying he has no right to object Atta-Kyea: He wants to do my case for me. So my lord the foundation of this question was furnished by this witness who is informing this court under oath that whether she was a witness or suspect when her boss instructed her to meet with the boss of EOCO. My lord the question is substantially relevant to the point that the one who was just to go and perform an official duty should have a lawyer with her. My lord and that is where I’m going and if you are just to go engage EOCO why should you go with a lawyer as to what informed her to hire a lawyer in official assignment. Court: Objection overruled A. I was not a suspect in the case. When I was sent to EOCO…the next day after I spoke to my boss I was given an official letter to represent the office. Q. Was it after you have been admitted to bail? Court: Mr. Atta-Kyea please approach the bench (Both DAG and defence counsel approached the bench) Atta-Kyea: Question withdrawn Q. In the year 2007 who signed your appointment letter? A. The National Security Coordinator Q. Will you be able to mention the name of the National Security Coordinator who signed your letter of appointment? A. Dr Samuel G. Amoo Q. Under whose government Dr. Sam G. Amoo functioned as the National Security Coordinator? A. The Kuffour Administration Q. When you were employed what was your defined role in the National Security setup? Court: Approach the bench. Mr. Atta-Kyea rephrase your question. Q. At the time of your employment what was your defined role your employer assigned to you? A. I was employed as assistant analyst- a senior officer role Q. In this senior officer role what were you analyzing? A. I was attached to the National Security Coordinator and assigned… Q. Do you want to keep what you were analyzing for the national security coordinator confidential? Q. Was there any outfit in the National Security setup called the Bureau of National Communications Q. Did you meet this setup or it was created after your employment? A. I can’t tell whether BNC existed before I was employed Q. At the material time of your employment was there a head of BNC Q. Who was that person? A. Major Adanse Q. Did you remain with the National Security Coordinator in his office or you transition to some other department under the National Security Council Secretariat? A. I was posted to the Finance Department in June 2008. Q. Finance Department of where? A. National Security Council. Q. Did you ever transition to BNC? A. Yes but my office was still maintained at the Secretariat Q. When you got into the space of BNC were you given a letter of employment? Q. Can you tell the court the difference between the office of the national security coordinator and the National Security Council Secretariat? A. The office of the National security Secretariat is the entire organization and the Coordinator is the head. Q. So who is the head of the national security council Secretariat? A. The head of the national security council Secretariat is the National Security Coordinator Q. Did you ever become the Head of Finance of BNC? Q. When was that Q. In 2015 who was in charge of BNC? A. There was a director heading the BNC known as Alhaji Yahaya Q. Do you know any intelligent agencies associated with National Security? A. Bureau of National Investigation now NIB and Research Department. Q: Research Department associated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? A. No. The Research Department is part of the National Security Q. … documents in which National Security DAG: Objection. The question has no relevance or whatsoever. The 2nd ground the establishment, existence and the relation between National Security agencies are by law and if the defence finds it relevant to test or to assess or to put these legal matter before the court the proper thing to do is to call an expert witness to speak to these matter. The witness in the box is a witness of fact. It does matter whether she PhD or LLB in law …my lord we pray respectfully that the court will save the witness from matters of law and most importantly what the prosecutor considered to be irrelevant questions . Respectively submitted Atta-Kyea. With respect, there is no basis for this objection because I have not asked a legal question at all. The prosecution’s own witness is coming from the National Security space or establishment and I’m asking the witness not a lawyer that where she is working from when you assert that the National Security Council Secretariat and the office of the National Security Coordinator, you are indeed referring to the same setup. Moreso, I want the DAG to know the provence of cross-examinition is clearly stated in Mrs Evelyn Owusu case, Court of Appeal supra. I’m only testing the knowledge of the witness relating to her own working environment what is legal about should be. Court: The objection is sustained Q. Now I want to test your knowledge. Do you know the difference between the National Security Council Secretariat? Court: Approach the bench Q. You know the difference between the National Security Council Secretariat and the National Security Council? A. It is one and the same Q. Have a look at Exhibit A2. What is stated on top of Exhibit A2? A. National Security Council Secretariat. Q. No before that A. Confidential Q. On your right hand side what is written there? A. National Security Council Secretariat Q. Whose signature is on the left at the bottom? A. National Security Coordinator Q. And this is co-signed by who A. Director, BNC Q. In the person of? A. What Kwabena Adu Boahene Q. So would you make an admission that BNC at all material time was a unit under the national security Coordinator? A. It’s a department under the national security coordinator. Q. What other departments were under the national security coordinator? A. My lord there were several Q. Mention them? A. Finance Department and Administration Department Q. Is that what you remember now? A. For security reasons I wouldn’t want to mention the rest of them. Q. So it is a fact that you came to work under what you called a department of BNC? Q. And you came to serve under A1, Kwabena Adu Boahene, who was a director, Bureau of National Communications? Q. And your overall boss was the National Security Coordinator is that not so? Q. Are you aware that the National Security Coordinator opens bank accounts for operational purposes? Q. When these operational account are opened he decides who the signatories should be? Q. Would you make a confirmation to this court that the accounts as opened by the national security coordinator for operational purposes are never private accounts? Q. Please do you know all the operational accounts that the national security coordinator at the material time ever used? Court: I will disallowed the question. Rephrase. Q: Do you know all the operational accounts that the national security coordinator used when you were at the Finance Department? Q. Do you remember when the Bureau of National Communications (BNC) became a statutory body called National Signal Bureau? Q. Tell the court Q. Has the BNC then be known by any other name in the period you worked with the Finance Department? A. At some point BNC was internally referred to Government Communications Headquarters Q. I want to wake up your memory relating to your testimony before this court on 7th November 2025. Kindly tell the court who the payee BNC operations account belongs to. You answered: “my lord I will not be aware. I assumed it is an operational account I did not have clearance to know about.” How come you now accept you know all the operational accounts of the National Security Coordinator? A. I was asked whether I know all the operational accounts at BNC and I responded in the affirmative. The Director of Finance has in custody the cheque books of BNC that he uses directly and the one with BNC bills were kept by me. When I said operational cheque book might be with the Director of Finance. Q. Madam previously you confessed that there are some operational accounts you didn’t have clearance to know about? A. It was an assumption Q. How will this Honourable court know your assumptions from facts? A. I stated clearly that it was an account I did not have clearance to know. Q. It is true that in the space where you work there are some National Security special operations accounts you will not have clearance to know at your level?0 Q. Are you familiar with the signature of the former coordinator by name Joshua Kyeremeh Q. Which familiarity is born out by the fact that he has signed several documents and cheque to your knowledge? Q. When you came into the space of EOCO for interrogation were you shown a letter coming from Joshua Kyeremeh, the National Security Coordinator dated October 8, 2018, for the opening of the special operations account? A. From which bank? Q. Universal Merchant Bank? Q. Were you shown any letter from Joshua Kyeremeh relating to the other account A. Fidelity Bank Q. In the course of your work did you sight the letter I referred you to dated 8th October 2018? Q. You have confessed that Kyeremeh signature is well known to you. Kindly confirm whether that is Joshua Kyeremeh signature on a letter dated 8th October 2018? Q. Did you come to know of an account that was opened at UMB in the name B.N.C Communications Bureau Limited, which was shortened to B.N.C Ltd Operations? A..l got know about it at EOCO Q. So in your entire work as Head of Finance for National Security did you ever deal with BNC operations account with UMB? Prosecution: There is a question being asked as to whether the witness ever deal with BNC operations account also comes with a preamble that she was the Head for the national security. My issue is the designation as the head of Finance at the national security Secretariat, which is not what the witness has stated. ..the witness will necessary admit or deny …I will pray my lord that the correction be made as the Head of Finance at BNC regarding the danger of confusing the issues.. Atta-Kyea: The objection is not well sound. It is for the witness to inform all of us whether I’m impinging a wrong designation or not. Giving the facts of the Principal State Attorney (PSA) own showing, the witness had earlier on asserted her designation. My lord, this is an opportunity to clarify it. Court: The objection is sustained, you may rephrase the question Q. As your work as the Head of Finance for BNC, did you ever deal with BNC operations account with UMB? Q. Do you stand by your testimony, when in 2017 while you were the Head of Finance, A1 was the Director, BNC? Q. You have the responsibility of putting together a budget liaising with the Ministry of Finance for parliamentary approval? For more news, join The Chronicle Newspaper channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBSs55E50UqNPvSOm2z
