Minority Leader slams EOCO over re-arrest of former NAFCO CEO, wife
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over the re-arrest of former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni.
In a statement sighted by The Ghanaian Times, he explained that the case involving the couple had been in court for about a year, and during that period, defence lawyers raised a number of objections which were upheld.
“The charges were weak and this was exposed in court through objections raised by defence counsel,” he said.
He added that the Attorney-General later tried to introduce fresh witness statements without the court’s approval, but that attempt was also rejected.
Mr Afenyo-Markin said after the charges were withdrawn, the expectation was that investigators would take time to review the case.
“One would have thought that EOCO would step back, conduct more thorough investigations and decide the next line of action,” he said.
However, he noted that on May 5, EOCO moved in to re-arrest the couple and their lawyers not allowed to see them.
“Their lawyers, who were at EOCO from about 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., were denied access,” he added.
According to him, the two have since been kept in custody without bail, even though they had earlier been granted bail by the court before the charges were withdrawn.
Mr Afenyo-Markin described the situation as troubling and urged state institutions to act within the law.
“The law enforcement processes should be deployed to deal with actual wrongdoing in accordance with due process and not used to harass citizens,” he said.
He called on EOCO and the Attorney-General to either state any new charges against the couple or release them.
“I call on EOCO and the Attorney-General to release them immediately. This impunity must stop,” he stressed.
By Times Reporter
Follow our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
