Former Buffer Stock boss formally charged for stealing over GH¢61m - Finance director on the run
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has been dragged to court for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss of over GH¢61 million meant for the purchase and supply of foodstuff for the national school feeding component of the Free Senior High School programme.
Per the charge sheet filed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, Mr Aludiba and the Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante, who were the signatories to NAFCO’s account, allegedly caused financial loss of GH¢50,879,210 to the state by transferring GH¢69,616,226.29 to Sawtina Enterprise, which has a Regional Manager of NAFCO, James Tieku-Apawu, as its shareholder.
Sawtina Enterprise was supposed to buy and supply foodstuffs to NAFCO, but after receiving the GH¢ 69,616,226.29, the A-G alleged that only 20 per cent of the money was actually used by Tieku-Apawu for genuine supplies, with Abdul-Wahab receiving more than GH¢50 million directly, leading to financial loss to the state.
In addition to the GH¢50,879,210, Aludiba is alleged to have also stolen an extra GH¢10 million from NAFCO.
He is alleged to have transferred the money to his other companies and those of other businesses of his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni.
24 Counts
In all, Aludiba, his wife, Wuni, Sam-Asante, and two of Aludiba’s corporate entities — Aludiba Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, and Energy Partners Limited, a company in which he owns 80 per cent, have been charged with 24 counts, including stealing, causing financial loss, money laundering, using public office for profit, and intentional dissipation of public funds, among others.
The Finance Director of NAFCO, Sam-Asante, is currently on the run.
The accused persons are expected to be arraigned at the High Court later this week.
Prosecution’s facts
Per the facts of the case, the A-G said aside from the over GH¢50 million, investigations discovered that between February 2017 and February 2019, GH¢5,495,748.36 was paid from NAFCO funds to Aludiba Enterprise, a business owned by the former NAFCO Boss.
The A-G said further investigations also established that Aludiba Enterprise is not a NAFCO licensed buying company and has never traded or dealt with NAFCO.
Again, in July 2022, NAFCO transferred GH¢ 251,050 into a bank account of Energy Partners Limited, although the company, according to the A-G, has never rendered any services or supplied any goods to NAFCO.
Additionally, the A-G stated that investigations have established that Aludiba also caused to be paid from NAFCO's funds GH¢4,401,831.58 to one of his wife’s companies, Alqarni Enterprise, under the description that the unincorporated business supplied foodstuff to NAFCO, although that never happened.
Again, the A-G said between February 2020 to November 2022, Aludiba made several deposits totalling GH¢ 13,213,501.52 into the bank account of Fa-Hausa Ventures, another business which has his wife as the sole proprietor.
“In fact, Fa-Hausa Ventures is the name and style under which Wuni trades. Investigations into the bank transactions of the business reveal that Aludiba, though not formally a partner in Fa-Hausa Ventures, is a signatory to the business’s bank account at the Republic Bank, Labone branch.
“Further investigations into these deposits have established the sources of the money, namely, from NAFCO through the bank account of Sawtina.
“Subsequent investigations have established that the money, which Aludiba, Wuni and their associates deposited into Fa-Hausa Ventures bank account, was used to purchase properties in prime areas in Accra, Tamale and elsewhere,” the A-G stated.
