Onua TV broadcaster, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, has called on the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, to hold on to the ongoing prosecution of Kwabena Adu-Boahene and take his time to carefully review the entire case before proceeding further.
Speaking during a live broadcast on Onua TV, Captain Smart cautioned the Attorney-General to exercise extreme care and patience in handling matters relating to the National Security apparatus, especially those involving financial transactions described as “Pictures of Money” (PM). He argued that such matters are very sensitive and interconnected with the operations of several state security agencies.
Even China has not
Captain Smart stated: “Even with Pictures of Money, even China has not been able to prosecute any National Security person based on PM”. “If you want to prosecute your PM, then you are indirectly prosecuting your Chief of Defence Staff, because it is through PM that we are able to organize the 6th March celebrations in Ghana,” he added.
He recalled that during this year’s Independence Day celebration, President John Dramani Mahama only mentioned the total cost of the event, which was over twenty million Ghana cedis, and did not suggest that anyone should be prosecuted. “Did you hear him saying he wants to prosecute anyone because it is PM?” Captain Smart asked.
Touching PM means all
The outspoken journalist explained that any attempt to prosecute someone on matters related to PM would have far-reaching implications. “When you try that, you are prosecuting the former Chief of Defence Staff, the former Inspector-General of Police, the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service, the Chief Fire Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, and the Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service,” he said.
According to Captain Smart, prosecuting anyone for handling PM would essentially mean that all heads of the security services, including the National Security Coordinator, must also be held liable. He stressed that even in China, a country known for its strict enforcement of national laws, no National Security operative has ever been prosecuted on the basis of PM.
National Security not easy
He explained that the work of National Security is one of the most demanding and complex tasks in the world, noting that the current National Security Coordinator, DCOP Abdul-Osman Razak, faces enormous challenges in managing such a sensitive position. “Everything that concerns Ghana’s security rests on the shoulders of the National Security Coordinator — from the Interior Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Police Service, to the Fire and Prisons Services. It is not a child’s play,” he emphasised.
Captain Smart therefore urged the Attorney-General to be cautious in his approach to the case against Adu-Boahene, whom he said was only handling National Security funds in the line of duty. “If the Attorney-General has identified Pictures of Money, he should know that we do not take National Security accounts to court,” he warned.
Missing pages in evidence
He further alleged that there were inconsistencies in the evidence the Attorney-General’s office had presented to the court. According to him, the AG printed a set of suspected bank account documents, totaling about two hundred pages, but pages one to eighty-nine had been removed. “Ask the Attorney-General why from page one to page eighty-nine, they have been torn out. I personally went for the document from their court dockets,” Captain Smart claimed.
He challenged Dr Ayine to show proof of the alleged twenty-seven buildings that the Attorney-General said were purchased by Adu-Boahene using National Security funds. “The Attorney-General should tell us where these buildings are located, the stages of completion, and even the colours of the buildings. That is when we can tell whether it is Open Pictures of Money or something else,” he said.
Captain Smart further urged the Attorney-General to take his time to review the case thoroughly before proceeding further. He stressed that any wrong move could compromise Ghana’s national security setup completely. “When you touch National Security, you touch my blood because I understand and know how it works,” he emphasised.
