Former Attorney-General and lawyer for former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has questioned the circumstances surrounding his client's arrest and detention.

He is alleging that he was denied access to Abdul-Wahab after he was taken into custody at the Kotoka International Airport.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Sunday, July 5, Mr Dame said both he and Abdul-Wahab's wife were prevented from seeing him after officers believed to be from the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) arrested him.

According to him, officials informed them that the agency does not operate on weekends, a response he described as inconsistent given that the arrest itself took place on a weekend.

"I was not granted access to my client. They said they do not work on weekends. So I asked how they picked a person on a weekend and yet they do not work on weekends. I was there with Hanan's wife and we were denied access. I do not know what they are doing to him," Mr Dame said.

The former Attorney-General also disputed claims by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai that Abdul-Wahab's arrest was linked to an attempt to access funds in a frozen bank account.

Mr Dame argued that no valid freezing order existed because the original order had been issued in relation to an earlier criminal case, which was subsequently withdrawn by the Attorney-General's Office.

"How can one attempt to withdraw money from a frozen account? It is even incorrect to say there is an order freezing the account because that order was granted about a year ago under the earlier arraignment of Hanan before court, and it lapsed when the Attorney-General withdrew all the charges and he was rearrested," he stated.

He explained that the withdrawal of the original charges effectively ended the previous legal proceedings, meaning any court orders associated with that case also ceased to have effect unless fresh applications were made.

According to him, the re-arrest of Abdul-Wahab initiated a new legal process, requiring the prosecution to seek new court orders if it intended to freeze any bank accounts.

"If the Attorney-General desires a fresh freezing order, all they need to do is apply for one. Why doesn't he want to apply for a fresh freezing order? Why is he resorting to this means of violating the rights of an accused person?" he questioned.

Mr Dame further criticised the manner in which the arrest was carried out, saying he never authorised similar actions during his tenure as Attorney-General, even in high-profile criminal prosecutions.

He cited several former public officials, including Dr Stephen Opuni, Seidu Agongo, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Collins Dauda, who were permitted to travel after obtaining court approval while standing trial.

"I served in that office. Never once did I authorise the arrest of any person. Never once did I authorise the curtailment of a person's right to movement. Dr Stephen Opuni, Seidu Agongo, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Ato Forson, Collins Dauda and many others were travelling in and out of the country pursuant to court orders. There was never an occasion I authorised an arrest at the airport," he said.

The remarks come amid an escalating disagreement between Abdul-Wahab's legal team and the Attorney-General's Office following his arrest shortly before he was due to travel to the United Kingdom for a medical appointment reportedly approved by the High Court.

While Dr Justice Srem-Sai has maintained that the arrest was prompted by an alleged attempt to obtain funds from a frozen account through false means, Mr Dame insists the allegation is unsupported because no valid freezing order was in force at the time.