CIA, GHANA, AND THE CUBAN CONNECTION

• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Collection: Declassified Articles from Studies in Intelligence: The IC’s Journal for the Intelligence Professional
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0000624354
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Release Date: July 30, 2014
• Case Number: F-2013-02322
• Publication Date: September 1, 1990

TITLE:AUTHOR:VOLUME:Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354CIA, Ghana, and the(b)(1)(b)(3)(c)34 ISSUE: Fall YEAR: 1990Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354aApproved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354STUDIES ININTELLIGENCEA collection of articles on the historical, operational, doctrinal, and theoretical aspects of intelligence.)All statements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed in Studies in Intelligence are those ofthe authors. They do not necessarily reflect official positions or views of the CentralIntelligence Agency or any other US Government entity, past or present. Nothing in thecontents should be construed as asserting or implying US Government endorsement of anarticle's factual statements and interpretations.Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 0006243540Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354The Scranage CaseCIA, Ghana, and the(b)(1)(b)(3)(c)This article is based on a Counterintelligence Anal-ysis Report published by the CIA's Counterintelli-gence Center Analysis Group in January 1990.In 1983, Sharon Scranage became the firstknown CIA employee to spy for an African  intelligence service operating  (b)(1)F?Scranage was nccioned to the CIA Station inAccra, Ghana, anc(b)(1)Ghanaians figured pro-miniently in her downfall?her lover, Michael  t.teckt(b)(3)(n)kept him informed about her Agency employmentand impending assignment to Ghana.(b)(61(b)(1)(b)(6)Soussoudis   (b)(1)  A look at the roles In April 1982, Scranage was assigned to the Africaand motivations of each explains what happened. Division in CIA's Directorate of Operations(b)(1)   Sharon ScranageSharon Marie Scranage, born in October 1955,was one of three children in a close-knit familywith deep roots in rural Virginia. Friends andneighbors recalled the Scranage family as "per-fect" and Sharon as a "good kid." The Scranageswere active in a local church, her father worked formany years at the Marine Base in Quantico, andher brother was a security man at the US NavalSurface Weapons Center at Dahlgren. The familywere solid, self-respecting citizens, well known intheir community. Scranage graduated in 1974from high school, where she belonged to the honorsociety and was a cheerleader. After graduatingfrom a Roanoke business college, she joined theCIA as a clerk-stenographer in May 1976 and wasassigned to the Office of Imagery Analysis. Shewas promoted one year later.Scranage married a security guard with a privatefirm in 1978. She divorced him in November1980, In May 1983, she wasassigned to Accra as an operations support assis-tant. Despite her desire to go overseas again,Scranage noted before leaving for Accra that shewas not "enthusiastic" but "would make the bestof it."(b)(3)(c)(b)(6)Four years after their divorce, however, she27Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Michael SoussoudisMichael Agbotui Soussoudis was born in April1946 in Accra to a French-Ghanaian woman anC(b)(6)Greek sailor. From 1966 to about 1983, he lived"Sec.ktt,Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Se(b)(3)(n)ConnectionFigure 1The Sharon Scranage Case: Key Players(b)(1)(b)(3)(c)Sharon Marie ScranageMichael Agbotui SoussoudisScranage's lover andGhanaian case officerSts?et(b)(3)(n)28Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354328670 11-90Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Connectionin West Germany and subsequently in the US.Soussoudis attended college in New York, wherehe married and later divorced an American wom-an. After he returned to Accra, he spent much ofhis time with American women. Friends and rela-tives called him a "playboy" and "more Americanthan African."Secret-(b)(3)(n)(b)(1)29Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354?Secret?gesr,gtApproved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354(b)(3)(n)(b)(1)BackgroundWhen Scranage arrived in Accra on 27 May 1983,Ghana was in a transitional phase marked bycontinuing revolutionary rhetoric tempered by  some signs of pragmatism.ConnectionTotVALLEYIIRCONOARY SCHOOL"00 or Oil. A. 01" to: renrr. 4?u0.44 rov.??000.00011.00010ratiort? 0/11.0.0110 Oct0 or. 4 orb000rs or S. .1.0.00cor ortroa, frolol? 4r0oomoonor1110111041.111011, 11100000?0011r.I.ALOr 4?00,0 ro.11:4=IrOlorf 0?0101/6111r 410OCE 0 el ? %Mom 1.001011Oolooroi Stroorro or ? ???? ortMINK SITS110?00: Ihrotrps10/041.: S 0141?117M?????roor Worm or Corm*, MowloomTOW 00 ON OIL OsornororotSear. Moo, 001000o.001 sorer* 0 re 0100 erg. 0UNNERSITY OFCAPE COASTA011111ISTIATIVEMUM=?????oz woo ?????????ro?.40."7?0:?twer?? :tr.*???????????=Zia= orr40?41..0140.rom 01rorruomorYu.. sou sr aro rror ? ?? rooFigure 2. This feature article in thePeople's Daily Graphic was part of ananti-CIA campaign in the Ghanaian press.328671 11-90(b)(1)St.c.r.Rsts30Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354ConnectionSttecei(b)(3)(n)(b)(1)(b)(6)31Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354N?cietApproved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354S.r.gt(b)(3)(n)Connection(b)(1)(b)(6)Sak32Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Connection(b)(1)(b)(6)33Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354"ststit-pet...,Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354gt.st(b)(3)(n)Connection(b)(1)(b)(6)34Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354ConnectionScet(b)(3)(n)(b)(1)(b)(6)35Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354-Sber.es.Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354(b)(3)(n)Several days later, Scranage reported to CIA Head-quarters, where the Office of Security had decidedto interview her and give her a polygraph examina-tion.and Scranage quickly admitted having givenclassified information to the Ghanaians. CIA in-formed the FBI and the Departments of State andJustice of its preliminary findings(b)(1)During interrogation, Scranage agreed to help theFBI lure Soussoudis to the US;Scranage took annual leave from 29 June to 7 Julyto visit her parents. Soussoudis, who had arrivedin the US, tried unsuccessfully to contact herduring her leave.(b)(1)Upon her return to Washington, Scranage, at theinstruction of the FBI, contacted Soussoudis andarranged to meet him at a motel in northernVirginia on 10 July. Soussoudis appeared at themotel and was arrested without incident. Scranagewas arrested the following day.Scranage was charged with espionage, conspiracyto commit espionage, disclosure of identities ofUS intelligence agents, conspiracy to disclose clas-sified information, and disclosure of classifiedinformation. She pled guilty. In November 1985,she was sentenced to five years in prison at Alder-son, West Virginia.In April 1986, a US District Judge reduced Scran-age's sentence to two years, citing the disparitybetween her sentence and Soussoudis's treatment.Soussoudis had received a 20-year sentence forseeking information from Scranage about CIAagents in Ghana and Ghanaian dissidence, but hewas allowed to return to Ghana in exchange forSbt.pe.t.Connectionmost of the agents?and their families?thatScranage had compromised.Sharon Scranage was paroled in July 1987 after 18months in prison. Michael Soussoudis went homein November 1985 to a hero's welcome.(b)(1)36Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Connection(b)(1)37Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354Steer<Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354-5`esr.e,t(b)(3)(n)Connection(b)(1)(b)(1)This article is classified-SEC-RZT(b)(3)(n)gsetret. 38Approved for Release: 2014/07/29 000624354