NCA Trial: Only Tevie signed off $4m IDL deal – Witness

Only the then-Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA), William Tevie, signed off the $4million deal between the NCA and Infraloks Development Limited (IDL), first prosecution witness Abena Asafu-Adjei, who is the Director of Legal Administration of the state agency, told an Accra High Court hearing a case of alleged fraud and financial malfeasance brought against five accused persons, including high-profile ex-NCA bosses, on Tuesday, 23 January.

Ms Asafu-Adjei said contrary to normal practice, nobody witnessed the contract, which was signed off as National Communications Agency rather than National Communications Authority.

Mr Tevie, former Board Chair of the NCA, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie; former Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Osman and private citizen George Oppong, have been charged and arraigned for wilfully causing financial loss to the state contrary to section 23(1) and section 179(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, Act 29.

The five persons have also been charged for 16 other offences.

According to the state, the previous Mahama administration had contracted an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited, to supply listening equipment at the cost of $6 million, to enable the authorities monitor conversations of persons suspected to be engaged in terror activities.

A local agent, Infraloks Development Limited, also charged $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million. The state said National Security did not have the money to fund the transaction, therefore, the NCA, which has supervisory jurisdiction over the use of such equipment, was asked to fund the project.

The ex-NCA officials withdrew $4 million from the accounts of the NCA and paid $1 million into the accounts of the Israeli company. According to the state, the remaining $3 million was lodged in the accounts of Mr George Oppong, who acted as a representative of Infraloks Development Ltd. The entire deal was allegedly fronted by Alhaji Osman.

All five accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.