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Director of Legal Services at the National Communication Authority (NCA), Abena Asafu-Adjei, has told an Accra High Court that $4m withdrawn from the NCA account to purchase cyber surveillance equipment was not approved by the Board.

According to her, minutes of board meetings during the period, 2015 till date do not show any request and approval brought before members of the board.

Mrs Asafu-Adjei also added that the only request for external support was in regard to some two million cedis for the Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation.

Mrs Asafu-Adjei was testifying in the case where the former board chair, Eugene Baffoh Bonnie, and four others are facing trial for allegedly fraudulently withdrawing four million dollars from the account of the NCA.

Director of legal of the NCA who is the first prosecution witness in the case brought her testimony in chief to an end.

Lawyer for the former Board Chairman, Thaddeus Sory, who started cross-examining witness suggested to the witness that she was unhappy with the former Board Chairman, Eugene Baffuor Bonnie.

He explained that this was because it was during his tenure that Mrs. Asafu-Adjei was compelled to proceed on leave

“You don’t like the first accused person and that if you had any opportunity to pay him back, you will do so”.

Mrs. Asafu Adjei replied “that is not the case”.

At the previous hearing the Attorney General had attempted to tender minutes of NCA Board meetings. It was to demonstrate that apart from the purchase of Cyber Surveillance equipment not being on the budget and procurement plan, a supplementary budget was also not sent to the board to enable the purchase.

Some of the minutes were accepted with others rejected following objection by some defense lawyers that some minutes had not been signed.

Same legal presentation as last hearing is present as Day Two of the trial begins.

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, is leading the witness, Abena Asafu-Adjei, to give testimony

DPP is asking witness to take a look at the minute the that have been tendered in. She wants her to peruse the 2015 board minutes whether there was any decision taken by the NCA Board in respect of the contract between NCA and IDL.