Godfred Yeboah Dame, former Attorney-General and legal counsel for former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, says his client is prepared to remain in custody if the Attorney-General, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) refuse to release him.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, July 8, Dame maintained that Abdul-Wahab’s arrest and continued detention were unlawful and amounted to an abuse of power.
According to him, his client has lost confidence in the actions of the Attorney-General, EOCO and the BNI and would rather remain in custody until the courts determine the matter.
“If the Attorney-General, EOCO and BNI will not release our client in spite of the false charges against him, he has expressed the resolve to remain in custody until the courts, the only institution he places his faith in, upholds his fundamental human rights,” the statement said.
Dame also rejected a press statement issued by the Attorney-General’s Office on July 7, describing it as misleading and an attempt to justify what he called the unlawful arrest of Abdul-Wahab at the Accra International Airport on July 4.
He argued that contrary to claims by the Attorney-General, no application had been filed to review the High Court order that granted Abdul-Wahab permission to travel before his arrest.
According to Dame, checks at the court registry showed that the application was only filed on Wednesday, July 8, at about 1:30 p.m.
The legal team further denied allegations that Abdul-Wahab attempted to withdraw money from a frozen bank account, insisting there was no valid court order freezing his accounts at the time of his arrest.
“Our client has not made any false or unlawful attempt to empty any frozen bank account,” the statement said, adding that neither EOCO nor the BNI had presented any evidence to support the allegation.
Dame challenged the Attorney-General to produce evidence, including a cheque, withdrawal slip or any document, to prove that his client attempted to access funds before he arrived at the airport.
The statement further argued that any previous court orders freezing Abdul-Wahab’s accounts had lapsed after the Attorney-General withdrew the earlier criminal charges and subsequently filed fresh ones.
Dame also criticised fresh bail conditions imposed by EOCO, describing the GH¢5 million bail with two justified sureties as excessive and unreasonable.
He noted that Abdul-Wahab was already on bail granted by the court and had been complying with a requirement to report to EOCO every two weeks.
According to Dame, the new bail conditions were designed to keep his client in custody because he was not in a position to satisfy them.
The latest statement adds to the growing dispute between Abdul-Wahab’s legal team and the Attorney-General’s Office following his arrest despite a High Court order permitting him to travel to the United Kingdom for a medical appointment.
The Attorney-General has maintained that the arrest was linked to an alleged attempt to use false means to access funds in a bank account, a claim Dame continues to reject.
