Hanan’s Lawyers demand return of £6,700, GH¢2,750 and phones from EOCO

Lawyers for Hanan Abdul-Wahab have accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of unlawfully retaining their client’s money, mobile phones and passport following his arrest and subsequent release.

They have demanded the immediate return of all seized items and money.

In a letter dated July 9, 2026, addressed to the Attorney-General and the Executive Director of EOCO, the law firm Dame & Partners described the arrest and detention of their client as unlawful and alleged that EOCO had continued to violate his constitutional rights even after his release.

According to the lawyers, Mr. Abdul-Wahab was arrested on July 4, 2026, at the Accra International Airport while travelling to the United Kingdom for a scheduled medical appointment. They stated that he was subsequently detained at the Bureau of National Intelligence and EOCO before being released on the night of July 8, 2026.

The legal team said that at the time of his arrest, their client was carrying personal belongings, two mobile phones and money intended to cover his travel and medical expenses. The seized cash, they said, included £5,000, £1,700, and GH¢2,750.

According to the letter, when Mr. Abdul-Wahab reported to EOCO on July 9 to retrieve his belongings, he was handed only an empty purse, a wristwatch and his boarding pass. The lawyers alleged that EOCO declined to return the cash and the two mobile phones, with an investigating officer reportedly indicating that he had no authority to release them.

Dame & Partners argued that the continued retention of the money was unlawful because the funds were borrowed specifically to finance their client’s travel and medical treatment and were not linked to any account allegedly under investigation or subject to a freezing order.

The lawyers further accused EOCO of unlawfully accessing data on Mr. Abdul-Wahab’s mobile phones without judicial authorisation while the devices were in the custody of the agency. They contended that such actions constituted an unlawful interference with his personal property and a violation of his constitutional right to privacy.

The letter also alleged that EOCO had retained Mr. Abdul-Wahab’s passport despite an order of the High Court directing that it be released to enable him to travel outside the jurisdiction before being returned to the court through the Registrar.

The legal team maintained that the continued seizure of the passport without further court authorisation was inconsistent with the Constitution.

Consequently, Dame & Partners demanded the immediate release of the two mobile phones, the seized money and all other personal items belonging to their client. They also called on EOCO to provide a full account of any data accessed from the devices while they were in its custody.

The lawyers warned that they would pursue legal action if the matter was not resolved promptly.

At the time of filing this report, EOCO had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the letter, and the claims had not been independently verified. The story will be updated if the agency issues an official response.