The Accra High Court has suspended proceedings in the criminal trial of former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, pending the determination of an injunction application before the Supreme Court challenging the conduct of trials during the legal vacation.

The court, presided over by Justice Francis Apangabuno Achibonga, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, adjourned the case to August 25, 2026, to await the Supreme Court's decision.

The suspension follows a broader legal challenge mounted by defence lawyers against the Chief Justice's directive allowing selected criminal trials to proceed during the judiciary's legal vacation. Defence counsel for both Hanan Abdul-Wahab and Kwabena Adu-Boahene had petitioned Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, arguing that the directive departs from established court practice and is inconsistent with the Constitution.

The lawyers contend that High Court judges permitted to sit during the vacation are traditionally expected to handle only motions and interlocutory matters, not substantive criminal trials.

Godfred Yeboah Dame, counsel for Hanan Abdul-Wahab and a former Attorney-General, described the authorisation as "irregular and contrary to law".

An injunction application has now been filed at the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the two specialised High Courts from conducting criminal proceedings during the legal vacation. The application is expected to be heard on August 20, 2026 .

The Supreme Court's decision on this application will have significant implications not only for the Hanan Abdul-Wahab trial but also for other high-profile cases designated to proceed during the vacation, including the trial of former National Signals Bureau Director Kwabena Adu-Boahene.

In a bench ruling, Justice Achibonga rejected the defence's request for an adjournment to the next legal term — which would have meant adjourning the case to October — stating this would defeat the purpose for which he had been issued a warrant to sit as a vacation judge.

However, the judge acknowledged that once an injunction application is pending before a Superior Court, a lower court should not continue with the conduct which the application seeks to restrain until the application has been determined.

Hanan Abdul-Wahab and his wife are facing combined charges of 20 counts, including allegations of causing financial loss to the state in connection with the operations of NAFCO and the School Feeding Programme. They have pleaded not guilty and are currently on bail.

The case stems from allegations that the former NAFCO CEO orchestrated a scheme to divert public funds intended for NAFCO and the School Feeding Programme for personal benefit. The charges relate to the diversion of more than GH¢78 million in public funds.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the injunction application on August 20, 2026. The High Court will reconvene on August 25 to receive the Supreme Court's decision and determine how the trial should proceed.