A High Court in Accra, Ghana, has postponed the trial of Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, former CEO of National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni. The trial, which was set to commence on October 1, 2026, has been deferred to await the court's decision on an application seeking the release of seized mobile phones and personal effects belonging to the accused persons. The couple faces charges including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Aludiba and Madam Seidu Wuni are accused of stealing and causing financial loss to the state totalling GH¢62.6 million. The two have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their lawyer, former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, has filed an application asking the court to order the prosecution to release mobile phones belonging to the accused and currently in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The mobile phones in question were seized from the accused last year and in July this year when Mr. Aludiba was arrested at the Accra International Airport. Mr. Dame argues that the devices contain information necessary for the conduct of the trial and that their release will enable the accused person to prepare adequately for their defence. He cited Article 19(2) (e) and (g) of the Ghanaian constitution, which guarantees the right to adequate time and facilities for the preparation of one's defence.
Esi Dentaa Yankah, a Principal State Attorney, acknowledged receipt of the application and noted that the court is a court of record, where everything that transpires during the examination-in-chief of the prosecution's first witness will be recorded. This, she said, will afford the defence adequate time to examine those proceedings and take on the witness at the appropriate time.
The trial judge, Justice Francis Achibonga, ruled that the prosecution could not begin by calling its witnesses without the court first determining the application seeking to have the phone and other properties of Mr. Aludiba released. He noted that an accused person has the right to object to any evidence being offered by the prosecution.
Justice Achibonga adjourned the trial to October 7, 2026, to hear the application. The judge's decision was based on the fact that Mr. Aludiba may need the alleged seized phones to enable him to prepare adequately for his defence. The court will determine whether Mr. Aludiba is entitled to the release of the said properties, particularly the phone, before proceeding with the trial.
The case involves allegations of financial impropriety and misuse of public funds during Mr. Aludiba's tenure as CEO of NAFCO. The court is expected to hear the application and deliver a ruling on October 7, 2026.
Key points
- The trial of former NAFCO CEO Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and his wife has been deferred to October 7, 2026.
- The court will determine whether to release seized mobile phones and personal effects belonging to the accused persons.
- The accused persons face charges including defrauding by false pretences and money laundering.
