Former Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Joseph Dindiok Kpemka, has defended the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company, Abdul-Wahab Hannan, amid allegations of illicit wealth acquisition.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday October 25, Mr Kpemka claimed that Mr Hannan was already a successful businessman before his appointment as CEO, noting that he personally knew him in Tamale as the owner of several properties and enterprises.

"Before he (Abdul-Wahab Hannan) went into Buffer Stock as CEO in 2017, he was quite successful, even before he went there, he was quite successful. I knew him to have very, very big properties in Tamale before 2017," he claimed.

"So people shouldn't think that everything that he has gotten is as a result of his stay at the place (National Food and Buffer Stock Company), some may have be as a result of he being a Chief Executive which will be proven by the state, but he wasn't a popper at the time, that should be the context we should put it," he added.

His comments come after the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, disclosed that the former CEO allegedly acquired high-value properties in Accra and Tamale using proceeds from financial crimes, as revealed during the Government Accountability Series briefing at the Jubilee House on Thursday.

Mr Kpemka, however, maintained that the claims must be thoroughly investigated to establish whether the assets in question were indeed acquired during Mr Hannan’s tenure or existed prior to his assumption of office.

According to Dr. Ayine, investigations show that the former CEO used the illicit funds to purchase luxury properties in Accra and Tamale, worth several million dollars and Ghana cedis.

The list of assets uncovered includes:

• A five-bedroom house at Chain Homes valued at $1.625 million
• A three-bedroom house at Cantonments worth $600,000
• Plots of land at Airport Development estimated at $750,000
• A 17-bedroom boutique hotel at Gumani in Tamale valued at $250,000
• A four-bedroom bungalow at Dworwulu, Accra, costing GHS 4,142,451
• A 0.32-acre government land purchased for GHS 307,200

Dr Ayine, revealed that the assets of the former Chief Executive Officer and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, have been frozen as part of ongoing investigations into alleged financial misconduct during his tenure.

Meanwhile, the accused former CEO has denied the allegations made against him by the Attorney General, describing the claims as “untrue” and “deeply unfortunate.”

Read also: AG’s claims against me untrue – Ex-Buffer Stock Company boss responds