Dame questions EOCO officer’s role in prosecution of ex-Buffer Stock boss

A legal argument over who is properly entitled to represent the Republic in court has opened a new front in the criminal case involving former National Food Buffer Stock Company chief executive Hanan Abdul-Wahab.

At the centre of the dispute is an objection raised by lawyer Godfred Yeboah Dame, who challenged the appearance of an Economic and Organised Crime Office official on the prosecution team during proceedings on Wednesday, 22 April.

Dame argued that an Assistant Staff Officer of EOCO could not lawfully join the prosecution unless there was clear authorisation from the Attorney-General. In his submission, the governing legal framework for prosecutorial representation did not automatically permit an officer of that rank to appear for the Republic without a specific executive instrument.

The issue arose after Principal State Attorney Esi Dentaa Yankah introduced Rabia Abdulai, an Assistant Staff Officer of EOCO, as part of the prosecution team.

The state rejected the objection.

According to the Principal State Attorney, the question was not about the officer’s rank within the legal service structure, but whether she had been properly clothed with prosecutorial authority. She told the court that EOCO had already been granted such authority through an executive instrument issued by the Attorney-General.

Rather than rule immediately, presiding judge Francis Achiponga postponed the decision and directed the prosecution to produce the said executive instrument at the next sitting.

The disagreement over prosecutorial authority was not the only issue raised in court.

Dame also informed the judge that EOCO officers had allegedly entered the home of his client on 8 April and marked the property with graffiti. He said the defence was seeking the court’s intervention over that conduct.

When asked to respond, the prosecution said it had no prior knowledge of the allegation. A staff officer from EOCO, Julius Nudanu, later told the court that he had been informed the operation had been carried out by the office’s Surveillance and Asset Recovery Unit, but said he did not know the full details.

A separate application was also made on behalf of the second accused, Faiza Seidu Wuni, wife of the former Buffer Stock CEO. Her lawyer, Augustin Obuor, asked the court to order EOCO to release phones and a laptop seized from the couple, arguing that the items were not part of the prosecution’s disclosures and should not continue to be withheld.

The court responded by ordering an EOCO official to appear and explain why the devices were still being held.

Abdul-Wahab and his wife are facing charges including stealing, defrauding by false pretences, money laundering and intentional dissipation of public funds. Both have denied the allegations and remain on bail.