Court adjourns ex-NAFCO chief's trial to 7 October to hear application on seized phones

Pinned summary · as of 04:54

Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, who formerly ran NAFCO (the National Food and Buffer Stock Company), will have to wait longer for his criminal trial, along with his wife, to open. A High Court in Accra, sitting on Tuesday, 29 September, was due to hear the prosecution's first witness. Justice Francis Achibonga instead ruled that a defence application over seized property must be decided first, and the case returns on 7 October.

What we know

• Justice Achibonga put the case off until 7 October so that the defence application for the return of items taken from the accused can be heard. The trial had been fixed for that Tuesday, with the prosecution due to call its first witness.
• A defence team headed by ex-Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame applied for mobile phones and other belongings taken from Mr Abdul-Wahab to be handed back. The lawyers say he cannot prepare properly without them.
• In court, Mr Dame explained that certain phones were taken a year ago, and others were seized when Mr Abdul-Wahab was detained at the airport. He added that the devices hold material the trial requires.
• For the constitutional basis, Mr Dame cited paragraphs (e) and (g) of Article 19(2), the guarantee that an accused person gets enough time and resources to get a defence ready.
• Principal State Attorney Esi Dentaa Yankah, for the prosecution, wanted the examination-in-chief of the first witness to start as planned. She said the prosecution's witness statement was filed on 3 June 2026 and a supplementary one on 11 June 2026, and that the defence could review the court record and cross-examine later.
• The judge held that a defence must be allowed to prepare fully, and that this covers the ability to challenge evidence the prosecution intends to lead. He ruled that the trial can begin only after the application is decided.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The name of the second accused is not settled. Citi Newsroom calls that person Faisal Seidu Wuni, Starr FM and Kumasi Mail say Faiza Seidu, and Onua Online writes Faiza Seidu Wuni. Starr FM, Kumasi Mail and Onua Online describe her as Mr Abdul-Wahab's wife.
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  Starr FM reported that the couple face a charge of misuse of state funds, and Kumasi Mail attributed this to the prosecution. Neither Citi Newsroom nor Onua Online mentioned the charge, so it has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Onua Online said the matter comes back at 11am on 7 October and that Augustines Obour, lawyer for the second accused, told the court her gadgets would help the defence raise objections. Other reports did not carry these details.

Why it matters for Ghana

NAFCO was set up to keep national food reserves, so the fate of its former head matters to farmers and consumers who rely on those stocks. The adjournment means testimony against the accused is delayed by at least a week while the court settles the question of the seized items. The ruling also shows Ghanaian courts giving weight to a defendant's right to prepare, which can affect how quickly high-profile cases move in Accra.