The Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has yet to file trial disclosures in the case against former National Food Buffer Stock Company chief executive, Hanan Abdul-Wahab and four others, more than three months after criminal charges were brought.
The case, in which Mr Abdul-Wahab, also known as Abdul Wahab Hanan Aludiba, faces multiple counts alongside three co-accused, was called in court on Tuesday, 16 December 2025 but prosecutors were still unable to present witness statements and other materials required under the disclosure regime.
Under criminal procedure rules, disclosures compel the prosecution to provide the defence with the documents, exhibits and witness statements it intends to rely on at trial. The process is intended to ensure fairness and allow defence lawyers to adequately prepare their case.
The delay follows a high-profile press conference held by Dr Ayine in October, during which he outlined allegations of what he described as an elaborate scheme to steal state funds and launder the proceeds through property and luxury purchases. His comments attracted wide attention locally and internationally.
Lawyers for Mr Abdul-Wahab say their client has been ready to proceed and has been waiting for the prosecution to comply with its disclosure obligations.
Richard Gyambiby of Dame and Partners, who represents the former Buffer Stock chief executive, said the defence was confident of his client’s innocence.
“The prosecution bears the burden of proving beyond reasonable doubt that our client abused his office to steal public funds and cause loss to the state,” he said, adding that the alleged acts could not, in the defence’s view, have occurred under the accountability systems in place at the Buffer Stock Company.
A source close to the Economic and Organised Crime Office, EOCO, told this outlet that investigators were encountering difficulties securing witness testimony and assembling evidence capable of withstanding scrutiny in court.
The source, who requested anonymity, said initial confidence following the October press conference had given way to concern as the case progressed.
“Gathering the evidence has become tough. Some of what we thought was foolproof is no longer foolproof, and that has contributed to the delays,” the source said, adding that the case had become a test of the Attorney General’s credibility following the intense public reaction to his media briefing.
Dr Ayine announced on 28 October that 24 charges, including stealing, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state, had been filed against Mr Abdul-Wahab and his wife.
Separately, Mr Abdul-Wahab has asked the court to overturn freezing orders imposed by EOCO on several of his properties, arguing that they were acquired years before his appointment as Buffer Stock chief executive in 2017.
Among the assets is a three-bedroom house in Tamale, which EOCO has cited as evidence linked to the alleged offences. According to the defence, the property was acquired in 2013 and was used for Mr Abdul-Wahab’s Islamic marriage ceremony that year.
He is also challenging the freezing of three undeveloped plots of land and an uncompleted building, contending that the orders violate his constitutional rights, including the presumption of innocence, the right to property, privacy and a fair hearing.
The court is expected to rule on the freezing orders on 18 December. Proceedings on the substantive criminal charges, including the presentation and testing of evidence, are scheduled to resume in January 2026.
