The High Court in Accra will tomorrow hear an ex parte application filed by lawyers for the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Alhaji Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, seeking his immediate release from the custody of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
The application, filed by former Attorney-General and counsel for Mr Aludiba, Godfred Yeboah Dame, is asking the court to direct the Attorney-General and the BNI to produce his client, who counsel claims has been held in solitary confinement for five days without access to his lawyers.
According to the application, law enforcement officials have allegedly refused to disclose Mr Aludiba’s place of detention since his arrest at the Accra International Airport on Saturday while preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment.
When the matter came before the High Court yesterday, presided over by Justice Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Bassit, the court adjourned proceedings to tomorrow to enable the Attorney-General to respond.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has stated that Mr Aludiba was arrested after he allegedly attempted to withdraw funds from his frozen Republic Bank account, which is the subject of ongoing criminal proceedings.
Mr Aludiba, his wife, Faiza Wuni, and three others are standing trial over the alleged misappropriation of GH¢78 million in public funds.
They face charges including conspiracy to commit crime, stealing and causing financial loss to the state, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
The couple was granted bail totalling GH¢150 million and placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list.
Dr Srem-Sai has alleged that Mr Aludiba and NAFCO’s Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante, transferred GH¢69.6 million to Sawtina Enterprise, with only 20 per cent allegedly used for genuine food supplies.
He further alleged that additional funds were channelled through companies linked to Mr Aludiba and his wife without corresponding goods or services being provided.
Mr Sam-Asante is reportedly on the run while investigations continue.
By Malik Sullemana
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