The Deputy Attorney General, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, said no one had denied the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) access to his lawyers following his re-arrest. 

Hannan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, the former NAFCO boss, was re-arrested after an Accra High Court discharged him and his wife. 

The court discharged Mr Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, after the Deputy Attorney General applied for their discharge. 

Dr Srem-Sai said the former NAFCO boss was sent to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for immediate interrogation and subsequent release, but he reportedly fell ill and was taken to the hospital. 

“When he came back, instead of his lawyer, who is the former Attorney General, accompanying his client for the interrogation, he chose to be calling into radio programmes,” Dr Srem-Sai said. 

He said the former NAFCO boss was discharged on Wednesday and was expected to report for interrogation on Thursday.  

He added that if Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, the former Attorney General, chose to accompany his client instead of appearing on television and radio programmes, he would better understand the nature of the fresh evidence. 

The Deputy Attorney General said Mr Dame had no basis to conclude that there was no fresh evidence. 

Dr Srem-Sai maintained that the former Attorney General had not accompanied his client and, therefore, could not know the details of the new evidence. 

He queried: “Is it improper to withdraw charges when we discover new evidence?” 

The Deputy Attorney General explained that fresh evidence meant “discovering something new,” which could either lead to new charges, strengthen existing charges, or result in changes to some of the charges. 

“That is why we need to interrogate and confirm with the accused person, particularly his side of the story, before we proceed with fresh charges,” he said. 

“We are still very confident that we have a strong case, which would lead to conviction. There is no doubt about that,” he told journalists. 

Mr Dame had earlier complained that his client, the former NAFCO boss, had been denied access to his lawyers following his re-arrest by officials of EOCO. 

The former NAFCO boss, his wife, one Richard Asante, who is currently at large, and two entities are facing charges for allegedly causing financial loss amounting to GH¢61 million.  

The amount was allegedly intended for the purchase and supply of food items under the National School Feeding component of the Free Senior High School Programme.