The Accra High Court has rejected an application by former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, seeking to have the criminal case against him and his wife thrown out.
Rather than striking out the entire charge sheet as requested by the defence, the court directed prosecutors to amend only two of the 20 charges before the trial proceeds.
Abdul-Wahab and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, are facing multiple charges, including allegations of causing financial loss to the state over the management of public funds intended for the National Buffer Stock Company and the School Feeding Programme.
The application to dismiss the case was argued by the couple’s lead lawyer and former Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame. He maintained that the charge sheet was fundamentally flawed because several counts failed to provide enough particulars for the accused persons to properly prepare their defence.
According to the defence, some of the charges referred to several payments without identifying when the transactions occurred, where they took place or how they were connected. Counsel argued that such omissions undermined the fairness of the proceedings.
However, the court declined to strike out the case and instead ordered the prosecution to amend only Counts 9 and 14.
Reacting to the ruling, Mr Dame described the decision as unsatisfactory and disclosed that his legal team would challenge it at the Court of Appeal.
He argued that combining multiple transactions into single charges without clearly identifying each payment placed the accused at a disadvantage and made it difficult to understand the specific allegations they were expected to answer.
Mr Dame further stated that the operations of the National Buffer Stock Company involve numerous transactions with schools and institutions across the country, making it essential for each transaction relied upon by the prosecution to be clearly outlined.
He insisted that the planned appeal was aimed at safeguarding his clients’ constitutional right to a fair trial rather than delaying the proceedings.
Abdul-Wahab and his wife are accused of orchestrating a scheme to divert public funds allocated to the National Buffer Stock Company and the School Feeding Programme for their personal benefit. They have denied any wrongdoing and are expected to continue defending the charges as the case progresses.
