Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has been arrested at the Accra International Airport over allegations that he attempted to use false means to access funds in a frozen bank account.
The arrest was disclosed by Deputy Attorney-General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, who said law enforcement officers intercepted Mr. Aludiba as he prepared to travel to the United Kingdom after being granted permission by the High Court.
According to the Deputy Attorney-General, the former NAFCO boss, who is standing trial on charges including stealing and causing financial loss to the Republic, allegedly attempted to empty a frozen Republic Bank account before leaving the country. Dr. Srem-Sai said the alleged development prompted authorities to arrest him at the airport and indicated that the Attorney-General would seek a review of the High Court’s decision granting him permission to travel.
However, Mr. Aludiba’s legal team has strongly disputed the allegations. His lawyer, former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, described the arrest as a violation of a valid High Court order that permitted his client to travel to the United Kingdom for a medical appointment. The defence also denied claims that Mr. Aludiba attempted to access funds in a frozen account, arguing that no valid freezing order existed at the time of the alleged incident.
The lawyers have further announced plans to initiate contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General, the Deputy Attorney-General and the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), alleging that the arrest disregarded the court’s ruling.
The matter is expected to return to court, where the Attorney-General’s Office will seek a review of the travel order while the defence challenges the legality of the arrest. Until then, the allegations against the former NAFCO Chief Executive remain the subject of ongoing legal proceedings, and the courts are expected to determine the merits of the competing claims.
