Adu-Boahene trial: Prosecution has not proved criminal appropriation – Kwesi Botchway Jnr
by Miss Naa · MyNewsGh.comA member of the NPP communications and legal teams, Kwesi Botchway Jnr, has shared that the prosecution has not established that the movement of GHC49.1 million in the Republic v. Kwabena Adu-Boahene and Others case amounted to criminal appropriation.
The case involves former National Signals Bureau Director-General Kwabena Adu-Boahene, his wife Angela Adjei-Boateng, Mildred Donkor and Advantage Solutions Limited. The accused face 11 charges over the alleged misappropriation of the funds and have pleaded not guilty.
Mr Botchway said the prosecution had alleged that the money was diverted into a private account but had failed to identify where the funds were originally supposed to have been deposited.
“If you allege diversion, then there has to be an original destination. They haven’t been able to show that,” he said.
He also challenged the suggestion that Mr Adu-Boahene personally signed the cheques used to move the money.
According to Mr Botchway, the account required two signatures for transactions, and evidence presented in court showed that the cheques were signed by other officials.
“The mandate on the account at all material times required two signatures. And so you cannot say that Dubai signed the cheques,” he said on Metro TV.
Mr Botchway said the movement of the funds itself was not disputed because the National Security Coordinator had authorised the transaction.
The issue, he argued, was whether the prosecution could prove that the movement amounted to an unlawful appropriation.
“The prosecution has not been able to establish that the funds have been criminally appropriated,” he said.
He said the prosecution had therefore failed to establish a key part of its allegation against the accused.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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