By: Kenneth Appiah Bani.
In a revealing memo written from the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), former National Security boss Kwabena Adu Boahene has denied embezzling state funds and offered a detailed breakdown of expenditures under the National Security Secretariat, asserting that the funds were used for legitimate operations including parliamentary allowances, election logistics, and national security interventions.
“Some of the funds I’m accused of stealing were used to pay MPs’ allowances,” Adu Boahene stated in the letter, which has since circulated within government and media circles. He cited a GH¢960,000 disbursement allocated to members of the Defence and Interior Committee in 2020 to support the passage of the National Signals Bureau Act.
The memo also reveals that GH¢8.3 million was allocated in September 2024 for “Election Special Operations Support for Opposition Party/Communications Equipment.” According to Adu Boahene, the disbursement was meant to promote national cohesion and political impartiality in the lead up to the 2024 general elections.
He defended the use of what he described as a “special purpose vehicle account” known as the BNC Communications Bureau, claiming it was duly authorized for urgent national security needs. “It was created specifically for national security exigencies of the time,” he wrote.
Adu Boahene’s letter includes a table detailing over a dozen special operations expenditures between 2020 and 2024, totaling tens of millions of cedis. These include:
GH¢9.5 million for cyber and electronic surveillance operations in 2020
GH¢6.9 million for counter terrorism efforts under Operation Conquered Fist
GH¢3.7 million for anti kidnapping and violent crime operations
GH¢7.3 million and GH¢6.7 million for election logistics in 2020 and 2024 respectively
GH¢5.1 million for vehicles procured ahead of the 2024 polls to support political neutrality and national stability
In a passionate defense of his integrity, Adu Boahene insisted that neither he nor his wife, Angela, diverted public funds for personal gain. “My wife Angela and I would never take what does not belong to us, even if privately arranged. We are content with the modest blessings God has given us,” he wrote.
He also accused EOCO boss Raymond Archer of deliberately distorting facts and creating unnecessary public alarm. “What is evidently clear is that the EOCO boss is misrepresenting the facts to the authorities, causing unnecessary sensation that could embarrass the government and compromise national security,” the letter states.
Calling for urgent intervention, Adu Boahene concluded his memo with a plea for clarity and justice. “I am craving your urgent intervention to avert it before it becomes too late.”
As investigations proceed, the disclosures have raised serious questions about how national security funds are managed and scrutinized and whether political actors used security expenditure as a conduit for election related spending.
