Former NAFCO boss arrested at airport over alleged attempt to access frozen account

A court-approved trip to the United Kingdom has been disrupted after former National Food Buffer Stock Company Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, was arrested at the Accra International Airport.

The arrest took place on Saturday night while Mr Aludiba was preparing to travel.

Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, announced the development in a Facebook post.

According to him, Mr Aludiba had earlier been granted leave by the High Court to travel to the United Kingdom for a few days.

However, investigators moved in after he allegedly attempted to access funds in a frozen bank account before leaving the country.

Dr Srem-Sai said the former NAFCO CEO is currently standing trial on charges including stealing and causing financial loss to the Republic.

He explained that the arrest was not because Mr Aludiba had no permission to travel, but because of what prosecutors say happened shortly before the planned trip.

“It was, however, Mr Aludiba’s attempt to use false means to empty his frozen bank account with Republic Bank on Thursday which occasioned tonight’s arrest,” he stated.

The Deputy Attorney-General said law enforcement officers arrested him at the airport while he was travelling to the UK.

He further indicated that the Attorney-General would return to court to challenge the order that allowed Mr Aludiba to leave Ghana.

“The learned Attorney-General will, on Monday, seek a review of the court order which granted Mr Aludiba leave to travel out of the country,” Dr Srem-Sai said.

Mr Aludiba is among former public officials being prosecuted over alleged financial irregularities connected to their time in office.

The charges against him relate to his tenure as Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company.

He has denied the allegations before the High Court.

As part of the criminal proceedings, some of his bank accounts were reportedly frozen to preserve assets pending the outcome of the case.

The alleged attempt to access one of those accounts is now expected to become a major issue when the matter returns to court.

The Attorney-General’s decision to seek a review of the travel permission could also lead to stricter bail or travel conditions for the former NAFCO boss.

The arrest adds a fresh development to the ongoing trial, which remains before the High Court.