The High Court in Accra has dismissed a motion filed by the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Buffer Stock Company, Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, seeking to strike out the entire charge sheet against him.
The court, however, asked the prosecution, led by Dr Justice Srem-Sai, to amend two out of the 20 charges that is counts nine and 14.
Mr Aludiba, the former NAFCO boss, his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, are standing trial for various corruption offences including stealing and causing financial loss to the State to the tune of over GH¢70 million.
The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, July 29, 2026 for trial to begin.
The two were granted GH¢150 million bail when they first appeared on October 30, 2025.
Per the charge sheet signed by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, Aludiba, and the Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante, who are the signatories to NAFCO’s account, allegedly caused financial loss of GH¢50, 879,210 to the state by transferring GH¢69,616,226.29 to Sawtina Enterpise, a company which has a Regional Manager of NAFCO, James Tieku-Apawu as its shareholder.
Sawtina Enterpise was supposed to buy and supply foodstuff to NAFCO but after receiving the GH¢69,616,226.29, the A-G alleged that only 20 per cent of the money was actually used by Tieku-Apawu for genuine supplies with Abdul-Wahab, receiving more than GH¢50 million directly, leading to financial loss to the state.
In addition to the GH¢50, 879,210, Aludiba, is alleged to have also stolen an extra GH¢10 million from NAFCO.
In all, Aludiba, his wife, Wuni, Sam-Asante, and two of Aludiba’s corporate entities — Aludiba Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, and Energy Partners Limited, a company in which he owns 80 per cent, are facing 24 counts of offences.
The Finance Director of NAFCO, Sam-Asante, is currently on the run.
Aside from the over GH¢50 million, the A-G said investigations discovered that between February 2017 and February 2019, GH¢5,495,748.36 was paid from NAFCO funds to Aludiba Enterpise, a business owned by the NAFCO boss.
The A-G said further investigations also established that Aludiba Enterpise, is not a NAFCO licenced buying company and has never traded or dealt with NAFCO.
Again, in July 2022, NAFCO transferred GH¢251,050 into a bank account of Energy Partners Limited although the company, according to the A-G, has never rendered any services or supplied any goods to NAFCO.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA