Accra, Dec. 22, - Eugene
Baffoe-Bonnie, former Board Chairman of the National Communications Authority
(NCA) and four others have been arraigned at the Commercial Court (High Court
Division) over the alleged fraudulent purchase of Cyber Security Surveillance
systems at eight million dollars.
The system, which was to be used
in the fight against terrorism, reportedly has some of its components missing,
while it cannot be utilised.
Baffoe-Bonnie is charged along
with William Matthew Tetteh Tevie, a former Director- General of NCA; Nana
Owusu Ensaw, a former Board member, NCA; Alhaji Salifu Mimina Osman, former
Deputy National Security Coordinator; and George Derrick Oppong, a Director of
Infralocks Development Limited (IDL).
The five officials have been
variously charged with wilfully causing financial loss to the State, conspiracy
to steal, stealing, using public office for private gain, in contravention of
the Public Procurement Act, Money laundering and intentionally misapplying
public property.
Baffoe-Bonnie, Osman and Oppong
have pleaded not guilty to the charges and they have been admitted to bail in
the sum of one-million dollars with three sureties.
The Court, presided over by Mr
Justice Eric Kyei- Baffour, also ordered the accused persons to deposit their
passports to the Court’s registry, directing that if any of the accused persons
would like to travel he should seek permission from the Court.
Tevie and Nana Owusu Ensaw were
absent in court.
Their lawyers after explaining
the circumstances surrounding their absence stated that their pleas would be
taken on next adjourned date.
The matter has since been
adjourned to Tuesday, January 9, next year.
Madam Gloria A. Akuffo, the
Minister of Justice and Attorney General, who presented the facts, said
sometime in 2015, the accused persons without authorisation, took a decision to
purchase a Cyber Surveillance system, which they claimed was to be used for
anti- terrorism operations.
Madam Akuffo said Baffoe Bonnie, Tevie
and Osman without going through the process as established by law, engaged Mr
Peninat Yanyi, an Israeli lawyer and businessman, who selected NSO Group
Technologies Limited an Israeli company to supply the system.
The Minister of Justice said Baffoe
Bonnie, Tevie, Ensaw and Osman decided to purchase the system through a
re-seller.
Baffoe- Bonnie, therefore,
nominated Oppong, his business partner and a Director of IDL to be the
re-seller of the system.
IDL, the Minister explained, was
a company registered to provide logistics and infrastructure development.
She said investigations revealed
that the supplier of the surveillance system was not the object of IDL, adding
that, in furtherance to the decision of Baffoe-Bonnie, Tevie, Ensab and Osman
to purchase the cyber surveillance system, Osman signed a letter on February
2016 in the name of the National Security Coordinator and addressed it to
Tevie, in his capacity as the Director General of NCA, and copied Baffoe
Bonnie.
GNA
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