Lawyers for the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, have rejected allegations by the Attorney-General that their client attempted to unlawfully withdraw money from a frozen bank account, describing the claims as false and without evidence.

In a press release issued on July 8, 2026, the law firm Dame & Partners challenged the Attorney-General's account of Mr Aludiba's arrest at the Kotoka International Airport on July 4, insisting that the prosecution had misrepresented the facts in an attempt to justify what it described as an unlawful arrest and detention.

Mr Aludiba is standing trial alongside another accused person in the National Food Buffer Stock Company case, where he faces charges including stealing and causing financial loss to the state.

He had earlier obtained permission from the High Court to travel to the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment before his arrest at the airport on July 4.

The statement comes a day after the Office of the Attorney-General announced that it had applied to the High Court to revoke an earlier order permitting Mr Aludiba to travel to the United Kingdom for specialist medical treatment.

The Attorney-General had argued that fresh developments emerged after the travel order was granted, alleging that Mr Aludiba attempted to use a court order from separate proceedings to access funds in a Republic Bank account that remained frozen under an order obtained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

According to the Attorney-General, the alleged attempt raised concerns about compliance with court orders and the risk that the accused might fail to return to Ghana to continue standing trial.

However, Mr Aludiba's lawyers dismissed those allegations, insisting that the Attorney-General's public statement was inaccurate and intended to damage their client's reputation.

"The said press statement was fraught with grave misrepresentation of facts calculated to tarnish the reputation of our client and consistent with disparaging comments the Attorney-General frequently makes about our client at his press conferences and on social media. To protect our client's hard-earned image, we draw attention to the following facts."

The lawyers further disputed the Attorney-General's assertion that an application to review the travel order had already been filed before Mr Aludiba's arrest.

"The allegation by the Attorney-General that he had filed an application to review the order granting our client leave to travel out of the jurisdiction as of yesterday, 7th July, 2026, was untrue. Our checks revealed that the Attorney-General proceeded to file the said application at the Registry of the Court only today, 8th July, 2026 at 1.30 pm."

The statement also maintained that the allegations contained in the Attorney-General's earlier press release were unfounded.

"All the allegations contained in the press statement of the Attorney-General are false and constitute a ploy 'after the facts' to rationalise the unlawful arrest and detention of our client."

'No evidence' of withdrawal attempt

The lawyers further contended that Mr Aludiba had neither been charged nor taken before any court in connection with the allegations cited by the Attorney-General.

"To date, our client has neither been charged nor been put before a court of law on any of the allegations the Attorney-General made in his press statement."

They also rejected the allegation that their client attempted to access money from any frozen account.

"Our client has not made any false or unlawful attempt to empty any frozen bank account. He considers a repetition of this allegation as part of the tendency of the Attorney-General to defame him. Our client has not been shown any evidence of any attempted withdrawal of funds by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) or the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), which arrested him."

The legal team further questioned the basis of the allegation, insisting that no documentary evidence had been produced.

"Our client arrived at the Accra International Airport when he had neither withdrawn any money nor presented any cheque or document seeking to withdraw any money from the bank. We repeat our demand for the Attorney-General to produce evidence of a cheque, withdrawal note or any means by which our client attempted to withdraw money from his bank account or the attempt to do so."

Dispute over freezing order

Dame & Partners also disputed the Attorney-General's position that the bank accounts remained frozen.

"We repeat that in any event, there is no valid order of any court of competent jurisdiction freezing our client's accounts since the earlier freezing orders made in respect of his earlier prosecution had lapsed."

The lawyers described Mr Aludiba's arrest as unjustified and accused state investigators of acting unlawfully.

"Our client considers his arrest totally unfair, an abuse of power by the Attorney-General, EOCO and BNI, and a deliberate scheme to disobey the order of the High Court, Accra."

They further criticised the fresh bail conditions imposed after his arrest.

"EOCO has, as a further ploy to keep our client in its custody, purported to impose conditions of bail in the sum of 5 Million Ghana Cedis with two sureties to be justified, even though he is already on a court-granted bail and is reporting fortnightly to EOCO. Our client deems these conditions outrageous, unreasonable and a ploy to further curtail his liberties since he is not in the position to meet them."

The lawyers concluded by stating that their client was prepared to remain in custody if he was not released.

"If the Attorney-General, EOCO and BNI will not release our client in spite of the false charges against him, he has expressed the resolve to remain in custody until the courts, the only institution he places his faith in, uphold his fundamental human rights."