The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has returned seized assets to Hanan Abdul Wahab, the former CEO of Ghana's Buffer Stock Company, and his wife, Hajia Faiza Wuni. The items, including £6,700, GH¢2,750, two laptop computers, and six mobile phones, were retrieved after a challenge from the defence team. The assets were initially seized during investigations in 2025 and 2026.
According to reports, some of the items were seized on July 4, 2026, when Mr. Hanan was arrested at the airport and detained for four days. He had been scheduled to travel abroad for medical purposes under a court order. The defence team, led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, argued that the trial could not proceed unless the seized items were returned, citing the need for access to information on the mobile phones.
The defence team filed a motion seeking an order compelling EOCO to release the items, emphasizing that the phones contained critical information for the defence's preparation for trial. The prosecution had indicated readiness to call its first witness, but the trial court, presided over by Justice Francis Achibonga, ruled that the prosecution could not commence its case until the application for the release of the phones and other property was determined.
Following the proceedings, EOCO released the items to the accused persons on October 5, 2026. The return of the items follows a petition by the lawyers for Mr. Hanan to the EOCO Executive Director, Raymond Archer, and the Attorney-General, Dr. Dominic Ayine. The lawyers had requested the return of their client's property, which they claimed had been retained without legal justification.
The defence team had also accused EOCO officials of violating Mr. Hanan's constitutional right to privacy, alleging that data on the seized mobile phones was accessed without judicial authorisation on July 6 and July 7, 2026. The lawyers demanded a full account of the data allegedly accessed from the phones and threatened further legal action if the items were not released.
The case against Mr. Hanan involves allegations of financial crimes, and the prosecution had withdrawn initial charges against him in May 2026 before re-arraigning him on new charges. The prosecution also withdrew a significant portion of evidence previously presented to the court. The new charges faced challenges from the defence team, leading to further amendments.
The trial is ongoing, with the prosecution preparing to present its case. The return of the seized assets is seen as a significant development in the case. The defence team's efforts to secure the release of the items were successful, and the case is expected to proceed with the prosecution presenting its evidence.
Key points
- EOCO returned seized assets to former Ghana Buffer Stock Company CEO Hanan Abdul Wahab and his wife after a defence challenge.
- The seized assets included £6,700, GH¢2,750, two laptop computers, and six mobile phones.
- The defence team argued that the trial could not proceed unless the seized items were returned, citing the need for access to information on the mobile phones.
