The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) has released £6,700, GHC2,750, two laptops and six mobile phones seized from Hanan Abdul, former CEO of the Ghana Buffer Stock Company, his wife Hajia Faiza Wuni, and their driver, all of whom are standing trial for alleged financial crimes against the state.
Investigators seized some items during investigations in 2025, while they took the money, one laptop and two mobile phones on July 4, 2026, when Hanan was arrested at the airport, detained for four days and barred from travelling abroad despite a court order permitting him to seek medical care.
At the last hearing on September 29, 2026, Hanan’s lead counsel, Godfred Dame, argued that the trial could not begin while EOCO retained the seized items, particularly the mobile phones, which he said contain evidence critical to the defence.
“The phones contain information necessary for the conduct of the trial and related to matters that are central to the subject matter of the proceedings. We need them to enable the first accused to prepare adequately for his defence, including raising objections to documents to be tendered by the prosecution, in accordance with Article 19(2)(e) and (g) of the 1992 Constitution,” Mr Dame said.
He disclosed that the first accused had filed a motion to compel EOCO to release the items.
Augustine Obour, counsel for the second accused, also told the court his client had requested the release of her electronic gadgets, which he said would form the basis of her defence.
The prosecution had argued that the trial could proceed while the motion on the seized items was determined later.
But the court, presided over by Justice Francis Achibonga, disagreed, holding that the prosecution could not call its first witness before determining the application seeking the release of the phones and other property.
The judge noted that counsel for the first accused might need the phones to prepare adequately for trial under Article 29(2)(d) and (g) of the Constitution, making it impossible to proceed while the issue remained unresolved.
Following the court’s position, EOCO released the items to the accused persons on Monday, October 5, 2026.
