Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni
The Attorney General has withdrawn all charges against former Chief Executive Officer of National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni and three others.
The withdrawal comes less than than a week after the trial court struck out two new witness statements filed by the Office of the Attorney General without leave of the court.
Deputy Attorney General, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai told the court this morning that the Attorney General wished to withdraw all the charges against the accused persons.
The defence had no objection but raised concerns about the presence of ‘commandos’ on the corridor and the abuse of discretionary power by the Attorney General.
Justice Francis Achibonga in a short ruling pointed out that the Attorney General has the prerogative to initiate, continue or truncate a criminal trial.
“Having informed the court that the state withdraws all charges against the accused persons, the prayer has been granted and all charges against the accused persons are hereby struck out. The accused persons are discharged,” added.
Hanan Abdul-Wahab and Faiza Seidu Wuni were immediately arrested on the corridor by officers from Narcotics Control Commission (NACIC) and Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
Hanan Abdul-Wahab, Faiza Seidu Wuni, together with Richard Sam-Asante, who is said to be on run; the Ludiba Foundation and Energy Partners Limited, two companies related to the couple, were charged by the Attorney General for allegedly stealing money from the state through a criminal enterprise.
The five were facing 24 counts of charges of stealing, fraudulently causing financial loss to the state, abetment of stealing, money laundering, defrauding by false pretences, intentional dissipation of public funds, using public office for profit, dishonestly receiving and intentionally causing financial loss to the state.
According to the charge sheet, Mr. Abdul-Wahab allegedly stole GH¢50.879 million from NAFCO by transferring it to James Tieku-Apawu, operating under the name Sawtina Enterprise, between February 2017 and February 2025.
Faiza SeiduWuni allegedly laundered a total of GH¢34,608,834.62 knowing at the time of taking the money that it was acquired through a criminal enterprise.
She is also accused of dishonestly receiving GH¢4,401,831.58 from NAFCO between 2018 and 2023, knowing very well that the money was appropriated through stealing.
Richard Sam-Asante, on the other hand, has been charged for conspiring to steal GH¢5,495.748.36 from the National Food & Buffer Stock Company Limited between February 2017 and February 2019.
The couple had pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been granted a total of GH¢150 million bail by the court.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak