Former NSB boss trial: Judge cautions against premature plea bargaining

Former NSB boss trial: Judge cautions against premature plea bargaining

The trial judge in the ongoing case involving the immediate past Director General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu Boahene and two others has ordered the accused persons to refrain from initiating any plea bargaining agreement with the state. According to His Lordship Justice John Eugene Nyante, the option of plea bargaining can only be commenced after the disclosure processes have been filed on the accused persons by the prosecution. At the hearing today, May 26, the judge has also ordered the prosecution to file all disclosures not later than June 2 after failing to do so on May 20. Lawyer for the accused persons, Samuel Atta Akyea, said the judge cautioned against premature plea bargaining because it's a variable in the case management process. He outrightly rejected speculations that his clients are considering such a move. Background Attorney-General Dominic Ayine formally charged Mr Adu Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, over corruption offences to the tune of GH₵49 million. Together with two others, Mildred Donkor and Advantage Solutions Limited, they are facing charges of 11 counts of offences, including stealing, money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, and wilfully causing financial loss. According to the writ filed at the High Court on Wednesday, April 30, Mr Adu-Boahene, who was responsible for overseeing critical national security infrastructure, including contracts with foreign companies, signed a deal with an Israeli company, ISC Holdings Limited, to purchase cyber defence software for $7 million.