The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has apologised to the Adentan High Court after failing to respond within the required time to an application by former Chief Executive Officer of the National Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, seeking to unfreeze some of his assets.
The application stems from freezing orders earlier obtained by EOCO over several properties belonging to Mr Aludiba as part of ongoing investigations and prosecutions arising from his tenure at the Buffer Stock Company.
Assets frozen following EOCO application
Following the commencement of investigations, EOCO secured court orders freezing a number of properties it believes are connected to alleged criminal activities.
Among the assets frozen is a three-bedroom house in Tamale, which EOCO cited as evidence of Mr Aludiba’s alleged involvement in the offences under investigation.
However, Mr Aludiba subsequently filed an application at the Adentan High Court challenging the freezing orders.
He argues that the properties were lawfully acquired long before his appointment as CEO of the Buffer Stock Company in 2017 and therefore could not be proceeds of crime.
According to court filings, the Tamale house was acquired in 2013 and was used as the venue for his Islamic marriage in the same year.
Other properties he is asking the court to declare as unlawfully frozen include three parcels of undeveloped land and an uncompleted building.
In his application, Mr Aludiba contends that the freezing of his assets is unlawful and violates his constitutional rights, including the right to property, privacy, fair hearing and the presumption of innocence.
EOCO apologises for delay
When the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, December 18, 2025, lawyers for EOCO, led by Brew-Sam Esq., admitted that the office had failed to file its response to the application on time.
They explained to the court that “administrative bottlenecks” within EOCO had delayed the filing, and that their response was only completed and filed the day before the hearing.
Counsel for EOCO apologised to the court and requested an adjournment to allow the applicant’s lawyers to be properly served and to study the response.
The court granted the request and adjourned the case to January 20, 2026, for the hearing of the application.
Attorney-General yet to file disclosures
In a related development, the Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has also failed to file trial disclosures in the criminal case involving Mr Aludiba and three others, nearly three months after charges were filed.
The criminal case, Republic v. Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba and Three Others, was called in court on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, but the prosecution was unable to proceed due to the absence of disclosures.
Under criminal procedure, disclosures require the prosecution to provide the defence with all documents, exhibits and witness statements it intends to rely on at trial, enabling the accused persons to prepare their defence.
The delay comes despite a high-profile press conference held by the Attorney-General in October 2025, during which he outlined what he described as an elaborate scheme to steal from the state and launder proceeds through real estate and luxury assets.
On October 28, 2025, Dr Ayine announced that 24 charges, including stealing, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state, had been levelled against Mr Aludiba and his wife.
Defence says client ready for trial
Counsel for Mr Aludiba, Richard Gyambiby of Dame and Partners, told the court that his client is ready to stand trial and has been waiting for the prosecution’s disclosures to prepare a defence.
“We firmly believe in the innocence of our client and will mount a zealous defence in his favour,” Mr Gyambiby said, stressing that the burden rests on the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Aludiba abused his office to cause financial loss to the state.
He added that the alleged acts, as presented by the prosecution, could not have occurred under the accountability systems that existed at the Buffer Stock Company at the time.
Evidence challenges emerge
Meanwhile, a source close to EOCO, who requested anonymity, said the office is facing difficulties in assembling witness testimony and evidence to support the charges, despite the strong public posture adopted by the Attorney-General.
According to the source, what initially appeared to be a solid case has encountered challenges as investigations have progressed, contributing to the delays in filing disclosures.
“This is a critical case for the Attorney-General because his personal credibility is at stake,” the source said. “Prosecution is a matter of evidence, and we are struggling to put together what will ultimately stand in court.”
With both the asset-freezing challenge and the criminal trial facing procedural delays, the case is expected to return to court in January, when the High Court will take up the application to unfreeze Mr Aludiba’s assets and assess the readiness of the prosecution to proceed.
