The Office of the Attorney General Ghana has discontinued criminal proceedings against former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, and his co accused in the ongoing GH¢78 million alleged financial loss matter, citing the emergence of new evidentiary material and the need to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process.
The announcement was made before the Accra High Court on Tuesday, May 5, by Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem-Sai, who indicated that the prosecution had elected to terminate the case against the affected accused persons on the adjourned date of hearing.
Following the declaration, the court formally struck out the charges against Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and his spouse, Faiza Seidu Wuni, resulting in their discharge from the proceedings, having previously entered pleas of not guilty to all counts.
In a subsequent clarification, Justice Srem-Sai explained that the prosecutorial decision was informed by the discovery of fresh evidence, emphasising that the withdrawal was intended to ensure that each accused person is afforded a fair and expeditious trial in accordance with constitutional guarantees.
Despite their release, both Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and Faiza Seidu Wuni were subsequently taken back into custody shortly after leaving court, although specific details surrounding the renewed development were not immediately disclosed.
The case centres on allegations linked to the procurement and distribution of food supplies under the national school feeding programme, with prosecutors initially asserting that the transactions resulted in an estimated financial loss of seventy eight million Ghana cedis to the state. Proceedings continue against other accused individuals and corporate entities implicated in the matter.
Earlier stages of the trial saw the prosecution submit witness statements on April 24, 2026, before later seeking to revert to prior statements filed in December 2025, a procedural shift that prompted legal contestation in open court.
The proceedings were further complicated by a dispute concerning the participation of an officer from the Economic and Organised Crime Office within the prosecution team. Defence counsel challenged the legitimacy of the officer’s involvement, contending that prosecutorial authority must strictly adhere to the provisions of the Law Officers Act.
Presiding judge Francis Achibonga consequently directed the temporary withdrawal of the officer from the proceedings and instructed the Office of the Attorney General Ghana to furnish evidence of proper authorisation.
The matter is expected to proceed in respect of the remaining accused persons, as the prosecution recalibrates its approach following the discontinuation of charges against the former National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited chief executive and his spouse.
