GH¢49m Spyware Scandal: Ex-NSB Boss’s Claims Lack Credibility – Bright Simons

Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI-Africa, has cast serious doubt on the defence put forward by former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Kwabena Adu-Boahene, over the alleged diversion of GH¢49 million intended for the procurement of spyware.

In a detailed assessment delivered on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Simons described Adu-Boahene’s claims as a fundamental violation of national security protocols, warning that the explanations provided were not only implausible but also indicative of a systemic failure in oversight and accountability.

Adu-Boahene, who is currently facing trial for misappropriation of state funds, alleged in a memo addressed to the National Security Coordinator that a significant portion of the money was reallocated to “covert national security operations.” According to the former intelligence chief, GH¢8.3 million was spent on “communications equipment” for an opposition political party, while nearly GH¢1 million was disbursed to legislators to facilitate the passage of key security-related laws.

Simons, however, firmly rejected these justifications. “This is a massive breach of our national security system, and we must not allow it at all,” he said, insisting that such a transaction could not have occurred without appropriate authorisation and documentation.

“If it is necessary to spy on people—because some are terrorists or criminals—and $7 million is allocated, you cannot pay just over a million dollars to a company, refuse to pay the rest, and then claim to have diverted the funds for other purposes with no financial trail,” he argued.

He emphasised that Ghana’s public financial management laws do not permit such discretionary use of funds without proper process. “Even for covert or ‘black’ operations, there are structures in place for authorisation, oversight, and record-keeping,” he noted, drawing parallels to international standards for secret service operations.

Simons also questioned whether the highest levels of government were aware of the alleged fund diversion. “If this was an authorised reassignment of the budget, the only person empowered to do that would be the Minister of Finance, acting through the President. There would be records—records the Attorney General would have access to. If those records existed, prosecution would not be moving forward,” he said.

According to Simons, the Attorney General’s decision to proceed with the case suggests that key legal and procedural requirements were not met.

He concluded by highlighting the threat corruption poses to Ghana’s national security apparatus. “National security itself recognises corruption as a critical vulnerability. If the very systems meant to manage that risk are being manipulated in this way, it undermines the entire security infrastructure,” Simons warned.

The case continues to generate widespread public concern, with many calling for full transparency and accountability in the handling of national security funds.