Dr Nana Owusu Esaw, the third accused person in the trial of some past officials of the National Communication Authority (NCA) over the alleged embezzlement of some $4 million meant for the purchase of a Pegasus, a cybersecurity system, for the National Security Council secretariat, has told the court that he did not conspire with anyone to steal monies from the state.
Dr Ensaw, a physician specialist and member of Ghana Medical Association, who is the current municipal health director for Akuapem North, told the court that he had for the past years executed some projects for Huawei, Ministry of Education and several others.
No conspiracy
Dr Owusu Ensaw, also former board member of the NCA and chair of the finance sub-committee, is among four others who are standing trial on the charges of conspiracy to steal and money laundering.
He has denied all the charges.
“That is not true; I have not conspired with anyone to steal and have never discussed with anybody in relation to the purchase of any Pegasus machine for the National Security,” he insisted.
He told the court that somewhere in 2016, when he came back to the country from abroad, he went to the NCA accounts only to realise that about $4m had been transferred to the IDL.
Money laundering
Johnson Normisu, counsel the accused, leading his client to give a testimony, told the court that an amount of $300, 000 deposited in the Stanbic Bank account of his client was acquired through his savings.
The accused also told the court that the charge of money laundering is frivolous and does not add up, since he had never laundered any $550, 000 as the state prosecution alleged.
He noted that the second prosecution witness had earlier told the court that he was not involved in any of the offences, and not guilty of the charges, as he had indicated “no evidence” against him during some previous hearings.
He explained that he was never at any time instructed by the first accused person to receive money from the fifth accused person to be shared among them in any circumstances.
But, in a cross-examination, the state prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, pointed out to the accused that there was no minutes of the board meeting containing the approval of the purchase of the NSCS equipment.
The presiding judge, Justice Eric Kyei Baffour, adjourned the case to today, Thursday February 13.
