Software of Pegasus machine was taken away for non payment - Investigator

The Investigator in the National Communication Authority (NCA) trial on Thursday admitted that the Pergasus equipment purchased was received but the software that would have made it operational was taken away by the Israeli company after installation.

Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah said the Israeli company took the software away because the equipment had not been paid for.

Chief Inspector Nkrumah was answering questions from Mr. Randolph Twumasi Ankrah, Counsel for George Derek Oppong at an Accra High Court (Commercial Division).

Eugene Baffour Bonnie former NCA Board Chairman, Matthew William Tetteh Tevie, Nana Ensaw, a former NCA Board member, Alhaji Osman Mimina former Deputy National Security Coordinator, George Derick Oppong, Managing Director of Infraclock Limited (IDL) are being held for wilfully causing financial loss to the state.

They are in court over the purchase of a Pergasus machine at a cost of eight million dollars which is currently not functioning. All the accused persons have denied the charges and are currently on bail.

The Investigator admitted that the Pegasus was installed at Alhaj Baba Kamara, former National Security Coordinator’s residence but stated that the machine was not used for the benefit of the state.

According to the investigator, the machine was used privately hence in his duplicate docket to the Attorney General Office he stated that assertion in the docket.

Chief Inspector Michael Nkrumah however told the court presided over by Mr. Justice Eric Kyei Baffour that he could not tell who used it privately. When offered IDL’s Ecobank Account as at May 6, 2016, the investigator told the court that IDL had GHC2,578,281.00 in its account.

The Investigator denied that during his investigations he asked Oppong how IDL was going to pay for the Pegasus Machine.

He further denied that Oppong told him that IDL had invested portions of the money paid by the NCA in businesses of the IDL adding that there was indication that part of the money had been invested.

Question: Two Million dollars has been invested in IDL business, that was what Oppong told you.

Answer: Yes, it is correct.

Question: It was out of the amount that IDL re-wired one million dollars to NCA?

Answer: No, my Lord.

The Investigator said he was not aware that Oppong was selected by NSO, an Israeli company to be a reseller of the Pegasus machine in Ghana. Chief Inspector Nkrumah admitted that Oppong, mentioned to him that he (Oppong) got to know that NCA wanted to purchase a Pegasus machine through one Peninah Yar Yeh.

Question: Per the document in your hand, how much was NCA to pay IDL.

Answer: NCA was to pay eight million dollars.

Question: As at today, NCA paid IDL only four million dollars?

Answer: That is correct but that money was to be transferred to NSO, the Israeli firm.

Hearing continues