The Attorney-General has filed an application at the High Court seeking to set aside the travel permit the trial court granted to former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, who is standing trial on charges of stealing and causing financial loss to the state.
Per the affidavit in support of the application, the Attorney-General contends that Aludiba allegedly attempted to rely on an order of a differently constituted High Court in separate proceedings to access funds held in bank accounts that remain subject to valid freezing orders obtained by the Economic and Organised Crime Office.
The act, according to the A-G, violates Section 37 of the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804). The A-G said the relevant financial institution declined the attempted withdrawal and notified the investigative authorities.
He added that this attempted withdrawal occurred shortly before the first accused was due to depart Ghana, raising legitimate concerns regarding compliance with existing court orders, the integrity of the ongoing criminal proceedings, and the risk that the accused may fail to return to stand trial if permitted to leave the jurisdiction.
The A-G further contended that these material facts were not before the Court when the travel order was made and may materially influence the Court's decision regarding its order granting leave for the first accused to travel outside the jurisdiction.
Context
Aludiba was arrested at the Accra International Airport over an alleged attempt to use false means to access funds in a frozen bank account, the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, disclosed in a Facebook post on Saturday.
He added that Aludiba, who is standing trial on charges of stealing and causing financial loss to the Republic, had been granted permission by the High Court to travel to the United Kingdom for a few days. However, subsequent developments prompted the intervention of law enforcement officers.
"Law enforcement officers have, a while ago, arrested Mr Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba at the Accra International Airport," Dr Sai wrote. "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."
Dr Sai also disclosed that the Attorney-General would, on Monday, seek a review of the court order which granted Aludiba leave to travel out of the country.
However, lawyers for Aludiba have announced plans to initiate contempt proceedings against the Attorney-General, Deputy Attorney-General, and the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations, alleging they deliberately violated a High Court order by causing their client's arrest despite judicial approval for his travel.
In a statement issued on Sunday, counsel for Aludiba, Godfred Yeboah Dame, described as "false" claims made by Dr Srem Sai seeking to justify the arrest.
Meanwhile, lawyers for Aludiba have filed an application for an order of habeas corpus, seeking to compel the Director of the Bureau of National Investigations and the Attorney-General to produce him before the High Court.
The application came after the applicant was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport on July 4 while attempting to travel to London under a court order granting him leave for medical treatment. The application was filed by Godfred Yeboah Dame, a former Attorney-General who is currently the legal representative of the accused.
The applicant is asking the court to order the BNI Director to produce Mr Aludiba before it and to compel the respondents to comply with the terms of the June 29 order permitting his travel. The motion is scheduled to be moved on Friday, July 10, 2026.
