GWCL paid GHS1.5m monthly to Adu Boahene’s private firm for Internet – Attorney General

Attorney General, Dominic Ayine has revealed more shocking details of how Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) illegally paid GHS1.5 million monthly to a private company owned by former National Signals Bureau (NSB) Director-General Kwabena Adu Boahene for internet services.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Attorney General detailed how the GWCL was systematically defrauded to the tune of GHs62 million through an elaborate scheme involving the NSB’s former director.

The scheme, which ran for an undisclosed period, saw GWCL paying premium rates for basic internet services that should have been provided at no cost between the two state-owned entities.

“This criminal enterprise involved the purported provision of secure Internet services to Ghana Water Company Limited by the erstwhile Bureau of National Communications, now National Signals Bureau,” Ayine stated.

“The contract document showed that Ghana Water was to pay BNC the sum of 650,000 Ghana cedis every two weeks for secure internet services from BNC, that is the Bureau of National Communications. However, for purposes of the payment, Kwabena Adu Buahene provided the account details of his company, BNC Communication Limited, to Ghana Water, which religiously paid for the Internet services.”

The AG explained that “every two weeks, 650,000 Ghana cedis left the bank accounts of Ghana Water. Instead of going to the National Signals Bureau account, it went to the account of a company known as Bureau of National Communications, owned by Kwabena Adu Buahene and his wife.”

The Attorney General emphasized the absurdity of the arrangement as “the government agency is providing secure internet services to Ghana Water Limited, a limited liability company solely owned by the same government.”

“And Ghana Water is spending money that they do not have to pay for internet services at that cost – 1.3 million Ghana cedis every month. In fact, the figure goes to 1.5 million Ghana cedis every month at the close of our investigations.”

The press conference came hours after Adu Boahene and his wife, Angela Adjei Boateng, pleaded not guilty in court to 11 corruption charges involving GHS49 million in alleged fraudulent contracts.

The Attorney General’s office is expanding its investigation into the GWCL payments, with more charges expected.

He added that his office will file separate charges against Mr Adu Buahene and his accomplices next week.