Edith Ruby Opokua Adumuah, Head of Finance of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), has denied ever managing or being aware of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC) operational account with United Merchant Bank (UMB).
Adumuah, the second prosecution witness (PW2), denied ever reading a letter purportedly written by the late Joshua Kyeremeh, a former National Security Coordinator, approving the creation of the aforementioned account when testifying under cross-examination before the Accra High Court.
During cross-examination by Samuel Atta-Kyea, lead defence attorney for Kwabena Adu-Boahene, former Director of the Bureau of National Communications (BNC), and two other witnesses, the witness stated the claim.
Rabiatu Abdulai, Esi Yankah, and Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, the Deputy Attorney-General (DAG), represented the State.
Two Transactions
Adumuah clarified that she occasionally helped the first accused (A1) with both official and private transactions in response to queries from the defence.
Deposits, withdrawals, share rentals, and bank statement reviews were among the formal transactions. When directed, she collected money from his bank on his behalf for personal activities.
She added that although she was not permitted to handle personal financial information, she could discern between official and personal activities because she had access to official chequebooks and bank statements.
Adumuah acknowledged in her testimony that she had previously submitted an invoice for the acquisition of a digital investigative audit system with serial number NSC006.
She admitted that this was the first time she had seen the duplicate, which had been presented to her for verification by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), when she was shown another invoice from ISC Holding Limited with the same serial number but for a cyber-defence system.
She stated that there was no proof of payment for the latter invoice in her department.
“In accounting practice, it is unusual to have two invoices with the same serial number, It is likely one of them was an error,” she told the court.
Adumuah acknowledged that EOCO asked her to explain Bureau-related money issues, but she maintained that she was not regarded as a suspect.
However, she acknowledged that after speaking with investigators, she was given bail.
She denied receiving any special treatment, saying, “I was of the opinion that anybody who goes to answer questions is granted bail.”
She also revealed that she met with Mr. Bashiru, the former Executive Director of EOCO, who directed her to investigators when she went to EOCO on the orders of her supervisor, Dr. Atta Boateng, who was the Director-General of the NSB at the time.
Source: newsthemegh.com