The counsel for former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has announced that the Accra High Court has fixed Friday, July 10, for the hearing of a habeas corpus application challenging his client’s continued detention.
The habeas corpus application filed is seeking an order directing the Director of the Bureau of National Intelligence and the Attorney-General to produce Aludiba in court and justify the legal basis for his detention.
According to Godfred Dame, the hearing date was set after the application was moved on notice, but he added that the date was too far given the circumstances.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, July 6, Dame stated, “I think Friday is a little bit too far, so we’ll seek an abridgement of that date”.
“The failure to charge him in court today, the failure to file any application whatsoever, shows that clearly, they actually had no basis at all for stopping him from travelling”.
“And the allegation that was made by the Deputy Attorney-General, while that context was clearly an effort to prevent an execution of the order, was clearly an effort to prevent the court order from being carried out,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dame has quizzed the Attorney-General on how his client could have attempted to withdraw money from a frozen account.
Dame rejected claims by the Attorney-General that his client attempted to access funds in a frozen bank account, arguing that there is no valid court order to freeze the accounts at the time of his arrest.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom, July 5, Dame stated, “How can one attempt to withdraw money from a frozen account? The point is that it is even incorrect to say that there is an order freezing the account because the order freezing the account was granted over a year ago under the earlier arraignment of Hanan before court, and that order lapsed when the Attorney-General withdrew all the charges, and he was re-arrested”.
“Pursuant to his re-arrest, if you recall, he was presented before court again, and there had to be a fresh bail application. In the same way, all the orders made under the earlier arrest also lapsed,” he explained.
“If the Attorney-General desires a fresh freezing order, all they need to do is apply. Why doesn’t he want to apply for a fresh freezing order? Why is he resorting to this means of violating the rights of an accused person?” Dame questioned.
“I am surprised the Attorney-General will be doing that. I served in that office. Never once did I authorise the arrest of any person. Never once did I authorise the curtailment of a person’s right of movement,” he said.
The development follows Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Justice Srem Sai, has disclosed that the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has been arrested at the Accra International Airport after allegedly trying to illegally withdraw money from his frozen Republic Bank account.
According to Dr Justice Srem Sai, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba was arrested after an attempt to use “false means” to access funds in a frozen bank account.
Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba is currently on trial for stealing and causing financial loss to the state and had been granted permission by the High Court to travel to the United Kingdom for a few days.
Dr Justice Srem Sai disclosed that although the court had allowed him to travel to the UK, he will ask the court on Monday to cancel that permission.
@ghnow_ “You cannot grant conviction on another man’s ignorance” – Lawyer Atta Akyea on the Aduboahene’s trail #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
