Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba secures stay of proceedings in NAFCO trial

The Court of Appeal has halted the criminal trial of Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO). On Monday, October 19, 2026, a three-member panel of the court granted a stay of proceedings just one day before the trial was scheduled to commence at the High Court. The decision allows Aludiba to appeal a previous High Court ruling that dismissed his motion to quash charges against him, which include stealing and money laundering.

Lead counsel for the defense, former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, argued that the current charge sheet contains significant defects and lacks the necessary particulars required for a fair trial. Dame contended that proceeding with the trial without addressing these deficiencies would lead to a substantial miscarriage of justice. The defense specifically challenged the High Court's refusal to strike out the charges, asserting that the prosecution failed to provide detailed allegations to support the counts against Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni.

In delivering the ruling, presiding judge Justice Noble Nkrumah noted that the legal issues raised regarding the charge sheet were significant enough to warrant an extraordinary measure. The court emphasized the critical role of a clear and detailed charge sheet in criminal proceedings, agreeing with the defense that the circumstances were exceptional. Consequently, the panel ruled that the challenge to the charge sheet must be fully resolved by the appellate court before any further trial proceedings can continue at the lower court.

The Deputy Attorney-General had opposed the application for a stay, arguing that the defense had failed to demonstrate exceptional circumstances and maintaining that the charge sheet provided sufficient detail for the accused to mount a defense. However, the Court of Appeal's decision effectively pauses the case until the appeal is heard. This development represents a significant procedural pause as the legal team seeks to have the charges either clarified or dismissed entirely before the state proceeds with its case.