The former Chief Executive of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Abdul-Wahab Hanan, has asked the High Court to overturn a freezing order imposed on four of his properties by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In his affidavit, Hanan contends that EOCO acted unlawfully by targeting assets he either owned before his NAFCO tenure or had no connection with, arguing that the order violates his constitutional rights.
The affected properties, according to Hanan, include a three-bedroom house at Kpalsi, Tamale (GPS NS-056-9690), an uncompleted storey building at Gumani, a 0.27-acre plot at Estate Junction, Tamale, and a 0.29-acre plot at Workers College, Tamale.
Hanan insists that EOCO obtained the freezing order ex parte, denying him the chance to be heard, contrary to sections 33–35 of the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804).
He highlighted that the Kpalsi house was acquired in 2011 and completed in 2013, years before his appointment at NAFCO, and was used to host part of his Islamic marriage ceremony, making it unrelated to any alleged criminal activity.
The former CEO also disputes EOCO’s claims over the Gumani building and the 0.27-acre Estate Junction plot, stating that he holds no interest in the former and that the latter belongs to Al-Qarni Enterprise, having been transferred to OSGAF Furniture Enterprise in 2022. He accused EOCO of freezing the properties without any “legal or factual basis whatsoever.”
Hanan further alleged that EOCO violated his rights during his arrest on 25 June 2025, detaining him for two weeks and searching his homes in Accra and Tamale without a warrant.
He claims he was only informed of the freezing order on 26 November 2025, despite legal requirements for prompt notification.
The former NAFCO chief maintains that EOCO has not demonstrated that the properties are “tainted” or connected to any criminal proceeds.
The High Court is set to hear his motion to review the freezing order on December 18.
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