EOCO must return Hanan’s belongings or face legal action — Lawyers

July 13, 2026

Lawyers representing former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab have demanded the immediate return of his personal belongings, including cash, mobile phones and passport, which they say remain in the custody of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

In a letter dated July 9, 2026, and addressed to EOCO and the Attorney-General, the legal team argued that the continued retention of the items was unlawful and cautioned that they may take legal action if the property is not released.

The demand comes after Abdul-Wahab was rearrested by EOCO following the withdrawal of earlier charges against him and other accused persons by the Attorney-General, who cited the discovery of new evidence.

Abdul-Wahab was arrested on July 4 at the Accra International Airport while preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for a medical appointment. He was later detained by the Bureau of National Intelligence and EOCO before being released on the night of July 8 without any conditions.

According to his lawyers, Abdul-Wahab had two mobile phones and three envelopes containing borrowed money meant to cover his travel and medical expenses at the time of his arrest. They said the envelopes contained £5,000, £1,700 and GH¢12,750.

The lawyers stated that although their client was asked to report to EOCO on July 9 to collect his belongings, he was only given an empty purse, a wristwatch and his boarding pass. They claimed an investigator informed Abdul-Wahab that he had not received approval to release the seized money and phones.

The legal team accused EOCO of unlawfully keeping their client’s property and demanded the immediate release of the items, along with a detailed report on any information accessed from his mobile devices.

They also alleged that EOCO accessed data on Abdul-Wahab’s phones without a court order while he was in custody on July 6 and July 7, describing the action as a violation of his constitutional right to privacy.

The lawyers further argued that the continued retention of Abdul-Wahab’s passport was unlawful, noting that a High Court order issued on June 29, 2026, had authorised him to travel and directed that the passport be returned after his trip.

Led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, the legal team maintained that the seized funds were borrowed solely for medical and travel purposes and were not connected to any alleged frozen accounts.

They have therefore called for the immediate return of all seized items and a full explanation of any data allegedly accessed from Abdul-Wahab’s phones, warning that they may pursue legal action if their demands are not met.