Adu-Boahene Arrest: Plea Deal An Option For Ex-Signals Bureau Boss Who Allegedly Stole $5.2 Million

• The AG said the embattled former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau could make a plea deal
• Kwabena Adu-Boahene has been accused of embezzling $7 million in funds meant for a defence contract
• The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dominic Ayine updated Ghanaians on the case on March 24

The former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau can take advantage of the plea bargaining regime amid his arrest for alleged corruption.

Attorney General Dominic Ayine told the press he would be open-minded about the possibility of a plea deal for embattled Kwabena Adu-Boahene.

“I am open-minded when it comes to these issues, so if they want to do plea bargaining, they should make an offer through their lawyers immediately after I file the charges. I will be willing to look at it because that is the essence of the plea bargaining regime."

The former National Signals Bureau boss is facing up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of the claims against him.

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Adu-Boahene, who served under the Akufo-Addo administration, and his wife have been granted bail set at GH¢260 million with two sureties, as investigations continue into his financial dealings.

What is Ghana's plea bargaining regime?

Plea bargaining refers to a process in the criminal justice system where an accused person negotiates an agreement to relinquish the right to go to full trial in exchange for a more lenient sentence or some other benefit.

Ghana allows for plea bargaining arrangements in Ghana’s criminal jurisprudence.

Provisions in the law that allow for plea bargaining include section 239 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30); section 35 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459); section 71 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959); and section 47 of the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).

The passage of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Amendment Bill, 2021, also provided new avenues for pleas.

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In June 2022, Parliament passed the Bill to amend the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure Act), 1960 (Act 30) to formally incorporate plea bargaining firmly into the administration of justice in Ghana for the first time.

Why was Adu-Boahene arrested?

Adu-Boahene was arrested by the Economic and Organised Crime Office on March 20, 2025. He was detained at Kotoka International Airport upon his arrival from London on a British Airways flight.

The former Director-General is accused of embezzling some $7 million meant for a cyber defence system contract.

He is alleged to have transferred approximately GH¢49 million from the National Signals Bureau’s funds into his personal accounts, falsely justifying these transactions as payments for the deal.

An initial payment of GH¢9.5 million, about $1.75 million, was transferred for payment for the defence system.

The attorney general also disclosed that the suspect allegedly used real estate to launder the stolen funds.

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Investigations linked Adu-Boahene to multiple properties in Accra’s upscale Mayfair Estates, among others.

These include a property valued at $1 million and others ranging between $500,000 and $200,000 in worth.

Ghana battles corruption perception under Akufo-Addo

YEN.com.gh also previously reported that in 2024, Ghana's corruption rating failed to improve on the perception index for 2023.

Ghana scored 43 out of 100 and ranked 70 out of 180 countries, continuing the trend of no progress that continued into last year.

The last time Ghana made progress on the corruption index was in 2019 when it ranked 80th with 41 points as its score.

During his victorious campaign to become president, President John Mahama pledged to crack down on all corruption.

Source: YEN.com.gh