Lawyer for former National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to halt the trial, insisting the charge sheet lacks sufficient detail on the allegations against his client.
The Court of Appeal on Monday, October 19, 2026, suspended proceedings at the High Court pending the determination of Hanan’s appeal challenging alleged defects in the charge sheet.
Speaking to the media after the ruling, Mr Dame said the trial had been unfair to his client because the charges allegedly lumped together sums said to have been stolen without specifying the individual acts and transactions involved.
“We thank God for this,” he said, welcoming the court’s decision to suspend the proceedings.
“I am not surprised that today the Court of Appeal has halted it because the charges really have been unfair to the accused person. The trial so far has been very unfair to the accused person in the sense that it is more or less like having your hands tied to your back, your eyes blind folded and being asked to fight in a boxing ring,” he said.
He argued that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient particulars explaining which specific acts and payments formed the basis of the allegations and how the alleged offences occurred.
“That cannot be a fair trial. That is not the kind of criminal justice system our Republic is supposed to have,” he added.
He added that the Constitution envisages a fair criminal justice system in which an accused person is given sufficient details of the acts for which they are standing trial.
The Court of Appeal granted the stay after finding that the issues raised by the defence constituted exceptional circumstances warranting the suspension of the trial.
The decision does not determine the merits of the charges against Hanan and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, but pauses the High Court proceedings until the appeal is determined.