Former NAFCO CEO released by EOCO after airport re-arrest
Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has been released from the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following several days of detention.
Sources familiar with the matter said Mr Abdul-Wahab was released unconditionally at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
His release comes after EOCO re-arrested him at the Accra International Airport on the night of July 4, shortly before he was due to travel to the United Kingdom. Investigators alleged that he had attempted to gain access to his frozen Republic Bank account through false means before his intended departure.
The arrest sparked a fresh legal dispute between the Attorney-General's Office and Mr Abdul-Wahab's legal team, with questions raised over the legality of his detention.
Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, had earlier stated that the Attorney-General intended to return to the High Court in Accra to seek a review of the order that granted Mr Abdul-Wahab permission to travel.
The former NAFCO boss has been at the centre of investigations into alleged financial misconduct relating to his tenure at the state-owned company.
He and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, were previously charged alongside other individuals over alleged financial offences involving NAFCO. However, the Attorney-General's Office later withdrew the charges, explaining that new evidence had emerged, leading to the discharge of all the accused persons by the court.
Despite that development, EOCO subsequently re-arrested Mr Abdul-Wahab and his wife, a move that generated controversy over the legal basis and procedure adopted by the investigative body.
Mr Abdul-Wahab has consistently denied any wrongdoing, while his lawyers have challenged the state's handling of the case, describing aspects of the process as unlawful.
EOCO has, however, maintained that the re-arrest was conducted in accordance with the law and due process.
Meanwhile, Mr Abdul-Wahab's legal team, led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, insists that the former NAFCO CEO is innocent of the allegations levelled against him. The lawyers have accused the Attorney-General's Office of attempting to justify what they describe as Mr Abdul-Wahab's unlawful arrest at the Accra International Airport.
They further contend that, contrary to claims by the Attorney-General, no application had been filed before the High Court to review the order permitting Mr Abdul-Wahab to travel prior to his arrest.