EOCO Releases Former NAFCO CEO Hanan Abdul-Wahab After Airport Detention
- EOCO released former NAFCO CEO Hanan Abdul-Wahab unconditionally on Wednesday evening, July 8, 2026
- EOCO re-arrested Abdul-Wahab at Accra International Airport on July 4 over allegations he accessed a frozen bank account by false means
- His lawyer, former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, condemned the airport detention as an unlawful arrest
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Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), walked free on Wednesday evening, July 8, 2026, after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) released him without conditions, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The release came four days after EOCO re-arrested Abdul-Wahab at Accra International Airport on July 4, 2026, as he prepared to board a flight to the United Kingdom.
Source: Facebook
In a report by Citinewsroom, the agency alleged he had used fraudulent means to gain access to a bank account that had been frozen as part of an ongoing matter involving the state enterprise.
Hanan's arrest sparks legal dispute
Following the arrest, Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai signalled the government's intention to seek a High Court review of the order that had granted Abdul-Wahab permission to travel abroad.
The move drew sharp criticism from the former NAFCO boss's legal team.
His lawyer, former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, publicly rejected the allegations, describing them as misleading and insisting that his client had done nothing wrong.
Dame characterised the airport detention as an unlawful arrest, pointing out that no application for a review of the travel order had been filed at the time his client was intercepted.
While EOCO maintained that it had acted within the bounds of due process, the contrasting positions from both sides set off a significant procedural debate about the legality of the re-arrest.
Background to the NAFCO Case
Abdul-Wahab and his wife had previously faced criminal charges linked to alleged financial offences at NAFCO.
The prosecution eventually withdrew the case after fresh evidence came to light, raising questions about the basis on which EOCO moved to detain the former CEO a second time.
His unconditional release on Wednesday marks a significant development in a case that has drawn considerable attention to the conduct of state investigative bodies and the rights of accused persons when charges have already been dropped.
Hanan Abdul-Wahab's lawyers threatens to sue AG
Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that lawyers of Hanan Abdul-Wahab had announced their intention to initiate contempt proceedings against the Attorney General.
According to Justice Srem-Sai, the former NAFCO boss was arrested for attempting to access a frozen bank account.
His legal team asserted that the arrest violates a court order, challenging withdrawal claims against their client.
Source: YEN.com.gh
