Former National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba has been released by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) after several days in custody.
Sources familiar with the matter said he was freed at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, without any conditions attached.
His detention followed his arrest at the Accra International Airport on July 4, shortly before his planned departure to the United Kingdom. Investigators accused him of attempting to use false means to gain access to a Republic Bank account that had been frozen.
The incident reignited legal disagreements between the Attorney-General’s Office and Abdul-Wahab’s lawyers over the legality of his detention.
Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, had earlier stated that the state intended to ask the High Court to reconsider its decision permitting Abdul-Wahab to travel.
The former NAFCO boss remains under investigation over alleged financial impropriety linked to his leadership of the state agency. He and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, had previously faced charges alongside others in a case involving alleged financial offences.
Those charges were later withdrawn after the Attorney-General’s Office said new evidence had emerged, leading to the court discharging the accused persons. Despite that decision, EOCO subsequently arrested Abdul-Wahab and his wife again, drawing criticism from the defence.
His legal team, led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, insists he has committed no offence and argues the airport arrest was unlawful. The lawyers also dispute claims that the Attorney-General had filed an application to overturn the court’s travel order before the arrest.
EOCO, however, has maintained that its actions were lawful and carried out in accordance with due process.
