EOCO apologises to court over delay in Buffer Stock case

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has formally apologised to the Adentan High Court for delays in responding to a legal challenge by former National Buffer Stock Company Chief Executive, Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, over the freezing of his assets.

Hanan is asking the court to set aside freezing orders obtained by EOCO in respect of properties he says were acquired years before his appointment in 2017 and have no connection to the allegations against him.

The assets in contention include a three-bedroom house in Tamale, which EOCO has cited as alleged tainted property but which the applicant maintains was purchased in 2013 and used as the venue for his Islamic marriage that same year. He is also contesting the freezing of three parcels of undeveloped land and an uncompleted building.

Hanan argues that the orders are unlawful and breach his constitutional rights, including the right to acquire and own property, his right to privacy, his right to a fair hearing and the presumption of innocence.

At a sitting on Thursday, 18 December 2025, counsel for EOCO, led by Brew-Sam Esq., told the court that “administrative bottlenecks” within the office had delayed the filing of their response. He confirmed that EOCO’s affidavit in opposition had only been filed the previous day.

The state lawyers therefore asked for an adjournment to allow Hanan’s legal team time to properly study the documents once they were served.

The court granted the request and adjourned the matter to 20 January 2026 for the hearing of the application to unfreeze the properties.

Separately, questions are being raised over the pace of the criminal case itself.

Three months after announcing charges against Hanan and three others in the so-called Buffer Stock case, the Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has yet to file the required disclosures, including witness statements and exhibits, despite a previous court deadline.

When the case — The Republic v. Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba & 3 others — was called on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, the State had still not complied with its disclosure obligations.

That delay comes after a high-profile press conference in October at which Dr Ayine outlined what he described as an elaborate scheme to steal from the state and launder proceeds into real estate and luxury purchases, effectively inviting public judgment on the accused.

Defence lawyer Richard Gyambiby of Dame & Partners, representing Hanan, said his client had been ready for trial for months and was only waiting for the State’s disclosures to prepare his defence.

“We firmly believe in the innocence of our client and will mount a zealous defence in his favour,” he said, adding that the prosecution bears the burden of proving beyond reasonable doubt that Hanan abused his office to steal and cause financial loss.

“We are convinced that the alleged acts could not have occurred under the accountability system that prevailed at Buffer Stock,” he added.

An EOCO source, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested the delays reflect deeper evidential challenges, despite the Attorney-General’s bullish public posture at his much-publicised “Rumble in the Jungle” briefing on 22 October 2025.

At that event, Dr Ayine set out allegations of a sophisticated criminal enterprise and, days later on 28 October, announced 24 counts against Hanan and his wife, including stealing, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state.

According to the source, the case has become a major test of the Attorney-General’s personal credibility after fierce public criticism and praise following his press conference.

“This is a critical case for Dr Ayine because his personal credibility is at stake,” the source said. “He seeks to ensure that the case proceeds expeditiously in court. However, prosecution is a matter of evidence, and we are struggling to come up with what will stand in court.”

For now, both the asset-freezing challenge and the main criminal trial remain in limbo, with the courts and the public watching how the State’s flagship anti-corruption case against the former Buffer Stock boss will unfold.