A fresh legal battle has emerged over the detention of former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, after his lawyers asked the High Court to compel the authorities to produce him before the court.
The application, filed on Monday, July 6, 2026, invokes the constitutional remedy of Habeas Corpus, with the defence arguing that their client’s continued detention by the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) is unlawful. The motion seeks an order directing both the Attorney General and the Director of the BNI to bring Abdul-Wahab before the court to justify the legal basis of his detention.
The legal team, led by former Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame, contends that Abdul-Wahab has remained in BNI custody since Saturday, July 4, despite an earlier ruling by the High Court granting him permission to travel outside Ghana.
According to the motion, which was filed under the 1992 Constitution and the Habeas Corpus Act, 1964 (Act 244), the lawyers are also asking the court to compel the respondents to comply with the June 29, 2026 order that authorised their client to travel out of the jurisdiction.
The application has been scheduled for hearing on Friday, July 10, 2026, when the High Court is expected to determine whether the detention complies with the law and whether the state authorities should be directed to release or produce the accused.
The defence argues that the detention has effectively prevented Abdul-Wahab from benefiting from the leave granted by the court, making judicial intervention necessary. They maintain that the state must explain the legal grounds for holding him in custody after the travel order had been issued.
Abdul-Wahab is one of the accused persons standing trial on charges including stealing and causing financial loss to the Republic. His case has remained before the High Court while the criminal proceedings continue.
His arrest was publicly confirmed on Saturday, July 4, by Deputy Attorney General Dr. Justice Srem-Sai, who disclosed that Abdul-Wahab was apprehended by law enforcement officers at the Accra International Airport.
In a statement shared on social media, Dr. Srem-Sai said the former NAFCO CEO had been granted permission by the trial court to travel briefly to the United Kingdom. However, he alleged that investigations uncovered an attempt by Abdul-Wahab to use fraudulent means to withdraw money from a frozen Republic Bank account before leaving the country.
The Deputy Attorney General further indicated that the Attorney General intended to return to court to seek a review of the earlier decision that permitted Abdul-Wahab to travel abroad, citing the new developments surrounding the alleged attempt to access the frozen funds.
The latest Habeas Corpus application now places the legality of Abdul-Wahab’s detention squarely before the High Court, setting the stage for another significant legal contest alongside the substantive criminal case already pending against him.
