The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the arrest of former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba as politically motivated, alleging that the move was intended to frustrate him.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, July 6, NPP Deputy General Secretary Haruna Mohammed said the party was not surprised by the development, accusing the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of abusing state power.

“We in the NPP, as a political party, are not surprised that we have reached this particular stage where the NDC is basically taking the law into their own hands,” he said.

Mr Mohammed questioned the justification for the arrest, particularly the allegation that Mr Aludiba attempted to withdraw funds from a frozen bank account prior to his departure from the country.

He argued that once an account has been frozen, the account holder does not have access to the funds, making the basis for the arrest questionable.

“If somebody tries to use even an agent to withdraw an amount from the account, you have frozen the account. We are very certain that the person doesn’t have access to the account. So what is the motive of moving into arresting the person when indeed you have already blocked the account?” he asked.

Mr Mohammed insisted that the allegation of an attempted withdrawal was being used to justify what he described as a politically driven action.

“So I don’t think that is just because Hanan has made an attempt by way of allegation. It is just to frustrate him,” he said.

He further claimed that Mr Aludiba’s travel abroad was primarily for medical reasons, insisting the former NAFCO boss needed urgent medical attention.

“I think the main reason why he was moving outside the country was to see his medical health condition and to look after him because of his health condition. But they are trying as much as possible to prosecute them even to their graves, and that is why they are doing so,” he added.

Mr Aludiba was arrested at the Accra International Airport on Saturday night while preparing to travel to the United Kingdom, despite having secured permission from the High Court to travel.

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr Justice Srem Sai, earlier confirmed the arrest, stating that it followed intelligence suggesting Mr Aludiba had allegedly attempted to withdraw funds from a frozen bank account before leaving the country.

The former NAFCO CEO is currently standing trial on charges of stealing and causing financial loss to the Republic.