Honorary Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Bright Simons, has urged Ghana’s national security apparatus to adhere to the broader principles of financial accountability, despite the legal exemptions they enjoy under existing procurement laws.
“Even the National Security services must obey the laws that are in place, such as public financial management, such as national procurement laws, except to the extent that, to some degree, the way in which information about them is put in public is plastered on you need to know basis,” he said on Joy News’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, May 10, while discussing the ongoing public discourse surrounding the alleged embezzlement of GH¢49 million by the former Executive Director of the National Signals Bureau, Mr Adu Boahene, with an in-depth analysis.
According to Mr Boahene, the substantial funds in question were expended on the then government and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during their time out of government, an admission that has triggered public outcry and heightened scrutiny of spending practices within national security institutions.
The former National Signals Bureau (NSB) boss, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, currently on trial for allegedly misappropriating GH¢49 million, claimed part of the funds were distributed to opposition parties for “covert national security operations”.
In a memo addressed to the National Security Coordinator, the former spy chief claimed the huge sums in question were used for covert national security operations.
This, he said, included some GH₵8.3 million for “communications equipment” for an opposition party and nearly GH₵1 million in payments to legislators for passing key security laws.
Consequently, the former spy chief accused the Attorney General of launching a malicious prosecution against him.
Read also: Adu-Boahene memo claims NSB spent GH₵8.3m on ‘opposition party’ ahead of 2024 election
While Ghanaian law currently exempts national security operations from standard procurement processes, ostensibly to safeguard matters of national interest, Mr Simons suggested that such exemptions must not be interpreted as a blanket release from accountability.
He stressed that unchecked financial discretion within the security sector could erode public trust and open the door to corruption and argued that diversion of funds that disrupts critical security functions must not be tolerated.
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