An application by lawyers for former National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni seeking to strike out the charge sheet against their client has been dismissed by the High Court.

Delivering its ruling on Thursday July 23, the High Court directed that the High Court amends Counts 9 and 14 of the charge sheet against Hanan Abdul-Wahab, adding that the remaining charges clearly set out the allegations against the accused and sufficiently inform them of the case they are required to answer.

Addressing journalists after the court proceedings, lead counsel for Hanan Abdul-Wahab, Mr Godfred Dame, announced that his legal team would challenge the High Court's ruling on appeal.

"Even though they've been ordered to amend some of the charges, we'll still file an appeal. We'll file an appeal against it. I think the decision was not so sound, even with the greatest respect to the judge," he added.

The couple has been accused of stealing, defrauding by false pretences, abuse of public office for profit, and money laundering. The new development comes days after Hanan Abdul-Wahab and his wife were briefly freed, following the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) withdrawal of charges against them.

Prosecutors allege that Mr. Abdul-Wahab fraudulently obtained GH¢734,400 from NAFCO in 2017. Meanwhile, the couple’s re-arrest received a backlash from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The government and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO)have been accused of abusing state power and engaging in what the party describes as political intimidation.

On April 29, the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra granted the Office of the Attorney-General (A-G) a final opportunity to justify its decision to involve a lawyer from the EOCO in the ongoing trial of former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, and four others.

This development comes after Justice Francis Achibonga, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, on Wednesday, April 29, expunged the name of the EOCO lawyer, Radiatu Abdulai, from the ongoing trial.

The judge’s ruling was triggered by counsel for the first accused, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who questioned Radiatu Abdulai’s representation of the Republic. Mr Dame noted that “there has been no due authorisation of the lawyer to prosecute, adding that the Law Officers Act of 1974 (NRCD 279) and the Legal Services Act of 1993 regulated the performance of functions of the Office of the Attorney-General”.

According to a statement in circulation, Godfred Yeboah Dame who was the former deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice justified that “Per the Law Officers Act, only public officers mandated by an executive instrument and certified to be on a rank equivalent to one of the posts in the Office of the Attorney-General, can appear in court with the Attorney-General or be mandated to prosecute or perform the functions of the A-G”.

In 2025, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited and his wife were granted bail totaling GHS150 million by the High Court in Accra.

Hanan had a share of GHS100 million in the bail and was to provide six sureties, four of whom must prove ownership of landed property.His wife, on the other hand, was granted bail in the sum of GHS50 million with four sureties, three of whom must own property within the jurisdiction of the court.

The duo has pleaded not guilty in the National Food and Buffer Stock Company case. They stand accused of 24 counts, including stealing, defrauding by false pretences, willful misuse of public funds, money laundering, and exploiting public office for personal benefit.

The court has directed that the sureties submit copies of their Ghana Cards. The court also ordered that the names of the accused persons be added to a stop-list at all entry and exit points in the country, including airports, seaports, and border crossings.

Until the final determination of the case, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and Faiza Seidu Wuni are required to report to the investigator every Wednesday.

Abdul-Wahab is standing trial over allegations of large-scale financial misconduct during his time in office. He was arrested on June 25, along with his wife. EOCO granted his wife GHS30 million in bail, while he remained in custody pending fulfillment of his GHS60 million bail condition.

The arrest, which took place simultaneously in Accra and Tamale, also led to the detention of a third, unnamed individual believed to be linked to the investigation.

On Tuesday, July 8, the former NAFCO boss was released from the custody of EOCO after being detained for 14 days. Abdul-Wahab was released after meeting a GHS60 million bail condition backed by two guarantors.

On June 25, Hanan and his spouse were taken into custody over suspected mismanagement of funds while he led the government agency. His wife was granted bail earlier, set at GHS30 million.

Earlier reports indicated that Mr. Hanan had met the bail terms; however, he remained in the custody of EOCO, a situation that drew backlash from the opposition New Patriotic Party, which described the terms as harsh and unfair. A third suspect, an unnamed individual believed to be linked to the investigation, has also been detained.

Meanwhile, a list of luxury assets belonging to Hanan Abdul-Wahab has been made public by the Attorney General (A-G) and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine.

His assets include a five-bedroom house at Chain Homes valued at $1.625 million, a three-bedroom house at Cantonments purchased for $600,000, and multiple plots of land in the Airport Development Area valued at $750,000.

Other properties include a 17-bedroom boutique hotel in Gumani, Tamale, acquired for $250,000; a four-bedroom bungalow at Dzorwulu, Accra, valued at over GHS4.14 million; and a 0.32-acre parcel of government land purchased for GHS307,200.

The Attorney General disclosed during a press briefing in Accra on Wednesday, October 22, as part of the Government Accountability Series.

He added that the recent development was made possible through collaboration with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), after several properties and bank transactions were traced to Abdul-Wahab.

But Abdul-Wahab has denied all allegations leveled against him by the Attorney General. In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 22, Mr. Aludiba noted that he has instructed his lawyers to follow up on the allegations.

“I wish to state, respectfully, that these claims are untrue and do not reflect the facts of the matter. I have no involvement in the issues being referred to, and I find the comments deeply unfortunate.“I look forward to the opportunity to present my side and to have my day in court, where I am confident that the truth will be made clear,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, Hanan Abdul-Wahab has demanded the release of his seized properties amid his ongoing trial.

In a petition dated July 17, submitted to the Attorney-Generaland the Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, and copied to the Chief Justice at the Judicial Service in Accra, Hanan Abdul-Wahab maintained his innocence and described his detention and alleged harassment as unfair and unlawful.