As the High Court in Accra prepares to begin the trial of former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director General, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, and three others over the alleged misappropriation of GH¢49.1 million, lead defence counsel Lawyer Atta Akyea has raised serious concerns over what he calls the “strategic removal” of critical documents from the court’s records.
Speaking after Thursday’s proceedings monitored by MyNewsGh, Akyea alleged that essential pieces of evidence—particularly bank statements—were deliberately left out of the prosecution’s witness statements.
These documents, he argued, are key to the defence and their omission severely affects the accused persons’ ability to adequately prepare their case.
“It is very apparent on the record that documents have been taken out.
“Some of the bank statements, they’ve cleverly removed. All the things that should help the accused persons,” he stated.
While much attention has been placed on the scheduling dispute—after the judge unexpectedly moved the case forward despite earlier indications of a July 21 adjournment—Akyea stressed that the bigger issue lies in the integrity of the trial process itself.
“How can we go to full trial when the evidence before the court is incomplete?” he questioned, warning that the accused risk being unfairly tried if they are not given access to all relevant documents and sufficient time for review.
The court has promised a comprehensive ruling by Monday, but with the trial now set to begin within a week, the defence says the rush to trial raises red flags about due process and justice for all parties involved.
The accused are facing charges related to the alleged diversion of funds earmarked for a national cybersecurity defence software initiative.
