Atta Akyea accuses EOCO of violating client rights

Legal counsel for Kwabena Adu-Boahene, the former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau (NSB), Samuel Atta Akyea, has raised concerns about the treatment of his client and his wife, Angela Boateng, following their recent arrest.

Atta Akyea claims that he was not allowed to properly interrogate his clients, accusing the authorities of violating their legal rights during the detention process.

The controversy stems from comments made by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, at a press conference on Monday, March 24, where he alleged that Adu-Boahene had been involved in the diversion of $7 million from a cyber defence system contract into his personal account.

Both Adu-Boahene and his wife remain in detention at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, March 25, Atta Akyea criticised the circumstances surrounding their arrest, calling it unfair and a breach of legal protocol.

He outlined that Adu-Boahene was taken into custody on Thursday, March 20, while his wife, Angela, was arrested the following day when she voluntarily visited EOCO to check on her husband’s well-being.

Atta Akyea further stated that when he attempted to speak with the detained couple, he was told that he could only proceed with any questioning if prosecutors were present, a condition he argued undermined the principle of lawyer-client confidentiality.

“Adu-Boahene was arrested on Thursday, March 20, and his wife, Angela, went to EOCO on Friday to voluntarily check on him. If she had any ill intent, she could have run away, but instead, she chose to walk into what could have been a harmful situation. Since then, they have been incarcerated,” he said.

“I was granted access to them yesterday [Monday]. As a lawyer, I am required by the constitution to speak with my clients before EOCO begins their investigation, as they have the right to legal counsel and the right to remain silent. However, I was told I could not proceed unless prosecutors were present. This was a clear violation of lawyer-client confidentiality. I refused to comply with that demand,” he added.

Atta Akyea also mentioned that he attempted to escalate the matter by seeking to speak with the superior officers at EOCO, but was unable to do so. While he was in the conference room waiting to meet with the authorities, the press conference began, in which the Attorney-General made public statements about the case.

“This is extremely troubling,” Atta Akyea said, “as it seems the media and the public were being led to believe that my clients are guilty before they have had their day in court.”