Lawyers for former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, have petitioned the Attorney-General and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), demanding the immediate return of his passport, two mobile phones and cash amounting to £6,700 and GH¢2,750.
The demand follows Mr Abdul-Wahab’s arrest at the Accra International Airport on July 4, 2026, while he was preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for a scheduled medical appointment.
He was subsequently detained at the Bureau of National Intelligence (BNI) and EOCO before being released on the night of July 8, 2026.
In a letter dated July 9, 2026, addressed to the Attorney-General and EOCO’s Executive Director, the law firm Dame & Partners argued that EOCO is unlawfully retaining its client’s personal belongings without legal authority.
According to the lawyers, Mr Abdul-Wahab visited EOCO’s offices on July 9 after being instructed to collect his belongings.
They said he was handed only an empty purse, a wristwatch and his boarding pass.
The legal team alleged that the investigating officer, Frank Cromwell, informed Mr Abdul-Wahab that he had no authority to release the remaining items, which included two mobile phones and three envelopes containing £5,000, £1,700 and GH¢2,750.
The lawyers maintained that the money consisted of borrowed funds intended solely to cover travel and medical expenses and did not originate from any bank account under investigation.
Privacy and constitutional rights cited
The legal team also accused EOCO of violating Mr Abdul-Wahab’s constitutional right to privacy.
According to the petition, officials allegedly accessed data on the two seized mobile phones without judicial authorisation on July 6 at 7:39 p.m. and July 7 at 9:33 a.m., while their client remained in custody.
The lawyers argued that such actions contravene Article 18(2) of the 1992 Constitution, which protects citizens against unlawful interference with their privacy.
Passport retention challenged
The petition further contends that EOCO’s continued retention of Mr Abdul-Wahab’s passport violates a High Court order issued on June 29, 2026.
According to the lawyers, the court released the passport to enable Mr Abdul-Wahab to travel abroad for medical treatment, with instructions that it be returned directly to the Registrar of the High Court upon his return to Ghana.
Counsel argued that EOCO cannot continue holding the passport without a specific court order, describing the action as inconsistent with Article 21(4) of the Constitution.
The law firm, led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, has also requested a full account of all data allegedly accessed from the seized mobile phones.
It warned that it would pursue legal action if EOCO fails to release the remaining items immediately.
At the time of publication, EOCO had not publicly responded to the allegations contained in the petition.
