Former Attorney-General and lawyer for former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has challenged Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai to produce evidence supporting claims that his client attempted to withdraw money from a frozen bank account.
In a statement issued on Sunday, July 5, Dame described the allegation as false and insisted it was used to justify what he called the unlawful arrest of Abdul-Wahab at the Accra International Airport despite a valid High Court order permitting him to travel to the United Kingdom.
According to Dame, the High Court had granted Abdul-Wahab permission to travel from July 4 to July 12 after hearing arguments from both the defence and the prosecution, including the Deputy Attorney-General. He maintained that the court’s decision was consistent with previous rulings allowing accused persons on bail to travel abroad under specified conditions.
Dame specifically rejected allegations that his client attempted to use fraudulent means to access funds in a frozen Republic Bank account. He challenged the Deputy Attorney-General to present evidence of any withdrawal made by Abdul-Wahab from his bank accounts after the court granted him permission to travel.
The legal dispute follows the former NAFCO CEO’s arrest at the airport on Saturday night after the Deputy Attorney-General alleged investigators had uncovered attempts to access the frozen account. Dame has since indicated that his legal team will initiate contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General, the Deputy Attorney-General and the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations, arguing that the arrest amounted to a deliberate violation of the court’s order.
The matter is expected to return to court as both sides prepare to defend their positions over the legality of the arrest and the allegations surrounding the frozen bank account.
