Defense Wraps Up 9-Week Cross-Examination of Key Witness in Adu Boahene Case

The defense team in _Republic v Kwabena Adu Boahene & Others_ has completed its cross-examination of the third prosecution witness, Madam Mildred Donkor.

Led by Samuel Atta Akyea, the defense questioned Donkor for nine weeks. She is a former director of the third accused company. Donkor was initially charged with conspiracy to steal and money laundering in the case but later became a prosecution witness after reaching an agreement with the state.

During cross-examination, Donkor made several statements that the defense says contradict claims the Attorney General made at earlier press briefings.

Key points from her testimony include:

- *Banking records*: Transactions were done through official banking channels and captured in bank statements. This runs counter to the AG’s claim that funds moved through a “complex web of criminal network.”

- *BNC Operations Account*: Multiple National Security officials, including the NSB head of finance, the Deputy Director General, and other senior staff, accessed and withdrew money from the account. The AG had described it as a private account used to divert state funds.

- *Payments to ISC Holdings*: More than GH¢9 million equivalent in dollars was paid to ISC Holdings of Israel. The AG had stated that no money went to ISC Holdings.

- *Nature of dealings*: Her interactions with Adu-Boahene were part of normal banking and corporate work. This differs from the AG’s description of her as part of a criminal syndicate that stole and laundered state funds.

- *Advantage Solutions*: The company was legally incorporated in 2008 and carried out genuine business. The AG had called it a criminal enterprise set up to steal state funds.

- *Pre-financing*: Donkor acknowledged that Advantage Solutions and its subsidiaries pre-financed National Security operations and booked those costs as loans. While she could not confirm the figure, counsel put it at over GH¢100 million, which she did not deny.

- *Fixed deposit claim*: She said there is no GH¢16 million fixed deposit in Adu Boahene’s name. The AG had claimed Adu Boahene invested state money in his own name.