The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has returned £6,700, GH¢2,750, laptops and mobile phones seized from former National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, who is standing trial for allegedly causing GH¢78 million financial loss to the state.
EOCO seized the items on July 5 when Hanan was arrested at the Accra International Airport while travelling to the United Kingdom.
He had earlier been granted permission by the High Court in Accra to travel to the UK for medical reasons.
His counsel, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, a former Attorney-General, had filed an application seeking an order for the release of the items to enable his client to adequately prepare his defence.
However, before the application could be heard, the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, told the court on Wednesday that the money and equipment had been returned to Hanan.
Mr Dame subsequently withdrew the application.
The prosecution urged the court to allow proceedings to continue, saying its first witness was ready.
Counsel for Hanan’s wife and co-accused, Faiza Wuni, Mr Augustine Obour, however, told the court that they had been unable to access information on the mobile phones because the devices had not been charged since they were received on Monday.
The court, presided over by Justice Francis Achibonga, subsequently adjourned the case to Tuesday, October 20.
Hanan, his wife and three others are facing charges including conspiracy to commit crime, stealing and causing financial loss to the state.
They have pleaded not guilty to 24 counts, including stealing, defrauding by false pretences, money laundering and intentional dissipation of public funds.
Hanan and his wife were granted bail totalling GH¢150 million and placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list.
Dr Srem-Sai has alleged that Hanan and NAFCO’s Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante, caused a financial loss of GH¢50,879,210 by transferring GH¢69.6 million to Sawtina Enterprise, a company owned by NAFCO’s Regional Manager, James Tieku-Apawu.
He said only 20 per cent of the amount was used for genuine food supplies.
He further alleged that Hanan diverted additional funds through companies linked to him and his wife, which allegedly received millions of cedis without providing goods or services.
Sam-Asante is reportedly on the run as investigations continue.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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