The Attorney-General has officially withdrawn all criminal charges against the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Abdul-Wahab Hanan Al-Wahab, and his wife, Faiza Wuni.
The decision brings an abrupt end to a high-profile legal battle that had seen the couple facing a 24-count charge sheet, including allegations of stealing GH¢78 million, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state.
A Prosecution in Retreat
The withdrawal follows a series of significant procedural setbacks for the state’s legal team over the last two weeks. Just days ago, the Accra High Court struck out key witness statements filed by the prosecution after defense counsel—led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame—successfully argued that the state had filed the documents irregularly without the court’s permission.
Furthermore, the prosecution’s case appeared to wobble when the state announced it would “no longer rely” on two massive boxes of documents intended to serve as evidence of irregular payments. These withdrawals left the state’s narrative of a “criminal enterprise” at NAFCO severely weakened.
Rights Infringements and Procedural Blunders
The case was further marred by controversy surrounding the conduct of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). The court had recently summoned EOCO officials to explain why they had allegedly marked the couple’s private residence with graffiti without a court order—an act the defense described as a “violation of human dignity.”
Adding to the state’s woes, the court also expunged an EOCO lawyer from the prosecution team, ruling that the Attorney-General had failed to provide evidence of proper legal authorization for the officer to prosecute the matter.
Vindication or Technicality?
While the Attorney-General’s office has not released a detailed statement on the specific motivation for the withdrawal, the move marks a significant victory for Abdul-Wahab Hanan and Faiza Wuni. For months, the couple maintained their innocence, with their legal team characterizing the investigation as an overreach based on “unclear documents” and “irregular procedures.”
With the charges now formally struck out, the couple is cleared of the immediate threat of imprisonment and the multi-million cedi bail conditions previously imposed. However, the collapse of such a high-stakes corruption trial is expected to spark intense debate over the state’s investigative capacity and the handling of high-profile financial crime cases.
