An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Kyei Baffour, has sentenced three former appointees of the Mahama-led administration to a total of sixteen (16) years for their involvement in a $4-million cyber security surveillance equipment scandal in 2016.
The three, Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, a former Board Chairman of the NCA, William Matthew Tetteh Tevie, a former Director-General of the NCA, and Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, a former Deputy National Security Coordinator were found guilty for willfully causing financial loss of $3 million to the State and intentionally misapplying public property.
Since, the remaining $1 million of the $4 million has already been refunded to the state, the court confiscate and ordered the state to seize the assets of the three convicts worth $3 million to offset the loss to the state.
One of the convict, Baffoe-Bonnie was separately found guilty of using public office for profit and money laundering due to the $200,000 he benefitted from the deal.
The prosecution argued that the three decided to disperse state funds claiming to purchase a cyber security equipment to be used in monitoring and listening to calls of suspected terrorists.
The deal, the prosecution believed was fronted by Osman to seek $8 million from the NCA through the NSCS, because the NSCS did not have that amount.
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It said the NCA provided the requested amount of $4 million through the unlawful acts based on a fictitious request from the secretariat which was provided by Osman.
According to the prosecution, the 4 million was withdrawn from the NCA’s account and the remaining $1 million out of it was deposited into the account of an Isreali company. The remaining $3 million, for the state, was later squandered by the three former public officials. Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie will serve six years imprisonment, whereas the two, William Matthew Tetteh Teyie and Alhaji Osman will each serve five years in prison.
Five persons including the three who are each going to serve a prison term were accused of fraudulently withdrawing $4 million from the NCA accounts without justification.
Earlier reports indicated that an Israeli company, NSO Group Technology Limited was contracted to supply surveillance equipment at the cost of $6 million.
This was to enable National Security monitor conversations of persons believed to be engaged in terrorism. IDL reportedly charged $2 million to facilitate the transaction, bringing the total sum to $8 million.
Reports indicate that three of the accused, through the said contract, allegedly withdrew $4 million from the accounts of the NCA and have failed to account for it. The other two have been acquitted and discharged by the court.
Source: ATL FM NEWS
