The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab, and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni, remain in custody despite being granted bail by the High Court in Accra last Thursday.
The couple was granted a total bail of GH¢150 million and placed on the Ghana Immigration Service stop list. Abdul-Wahab's bail was set at GH¢100 million with six sureties, four to be justified with landed property, while his wife's was GH¢50 million with four sureties, two to be justified.
They pleaded not guilty to 24 counts, including stealing, defrauding by false pretences, money laundering, and intentional dissipation of public funds.
The court ordered them to report to investigators every Wednesday, while the investigator is to file monthly compliance reports. Sureties are required to deposit copies of their Ghana Cards and inform the court of any change of address.
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Prosecuting, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, Deputy Attorney-General, stated that Abdul-Wahab and NAFCO's Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante, both signatories to the company's accounts, caused a financial loss of GH¢50,879,210 to the State by transferring GH¢69.6 million to Sawtina Enterprise, a firm owned by NAFCO's Regional Manager, James Tieku-Apawu.
Only 20 per cent of the amount, he mentioned, was used for genuine food supply.
Dr Srem-Sai further alleged that Abdul-Wahab siphoned additional sums through companies linked to himself and his wife, including Aludiba Enterprise, Energy Partners Limited, Alqarni Enterprise, and Fa-Hausa Ventures. These entities, he emphasised, received millions of cedis from NAFCO without providing any goods or services.
The Finance Director, Sam-Asante, is reportedly on the run, while investigations continue into the alleged misappropriation of public funds.
