Lawyers for former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, have filed an application for an order of habeas corpus, seeking to compel the Director of the Bureau of National Intelligence and the Attorney-General to produce him before the High Court.
The application comes 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.
Background
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 Abdul-Wahab, 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 will, on Monday, seek a review of the court order which granted Abdul-Wahab leave to travel out of the country.
However, lawyers for Abdul-Wahab 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 Abdul-Wahab, Godfred Yeboah Dame, described as "false" claims made by Dr Srem Sai seeking to justify the arrest.
Application
According to an affidavit deposed by the applicant's wife, Hajia Faiza Seidu Wuni, the court on June 29, 2026, granted Mr Aludiba leave to travel outside the jurisdiction for an appointment with his optician in London on July 6, citing a worsening eye condition. The order directed that his passport be released to him and permitted him to travel on or before July 4.
It stated that for almost a week after the order was granted, the applicant made travel arrangements without any objection from the respondents. On the day of travel, he completed all pre-departure formalities, including clearance by the Ghana Immigration Service, and was waiting to board his flight when he was confronted and forcibly arrested by armed men who identified themselves as BNI operatives.
The deponent averred that the applicant was not informed of the reasons for his arrest and was denied access to his lawyer, Godfred Yeboah Dame, despite a phone call placed to counsel at the scene.
She further claimed that a Facebook post attributed to the Deputy Attorney-General alleged the arrest was linked to an attempt to empty frozen bank accounts — an allegation the applicant denies and says the respondents must strictly prove.
The affidavit also alleged that the family only learned of his whereabouts a day later, on July 5, when they were informed he was being held at BNI headquarters at Ridge. Both the wife and the applicant's lawyers say they were denied access to him there, with BNI staff reportedly citing weekend policy and the need for "orders from above."
