Lawyers for former NAFCO CEO, Hanan Abdul-Wahab have accused the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, of misrepresenting facts in an attempt to justify what they describe as the “unlawful arrest and detention” of their client.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 8, the law firm, Messrs. Dame & Partners, rejected claims made by the Attorney-General in a July 7 press statement regarding the circumstances leading to Abdul-Wahab’s arrest on July 4, shortly after he had been granted leave by the High Court in Accra to travel to the United Kingdom.
According to the firm, the Attorney-General’s statement contained “grave misrepresentations of facts” aimed at tarnishing their client’s reputation and rationalising what they described as an “abuse of power” by EOCO, BNI and the Attorney-General.
Responding to allegations that Abdul-Wahab attempted to withdraw money from frozen bank accounts, the lawyers described the claims as false and defamatory.
“Our client has not made any false or unlawful attempt to empty any frozen bank account. He considers a repetition of this allegation as part of the tendency of the Attorney-General to defame him,” the release stated.
They challenged the Attorney-General to produce evidence, including any cheque, withdrawal slip or other document, showing that their client, Hanan Abdul-Wahab had attempted to access funds from frozen bank accounts.
“We repeat our demand for the Attorney-General to produce evidence of a cheque, withdrawal note or any means by which our client attempted to withdraw money from his bank account, or the attempt to do so.”
The statement also argued that there is currently no valid court order freezing Abdul-Wahab’s bank accounts, contending that previous freezing orders issued in an earlier prosecution had already lapsed.
“We repeat that in any event, there is no valid order of any court of competent jurisdiction freezing our client’s accounts since the earlier freezing orders made in respect of his earlier prosecution had lapsed,” Messrs. Dame & Partners stressed.
The lawyers disputed the Attorney-General’s assertion that an application had already been filed to review the High Court’s order permitting Abdul-Wahab to travel.
They claimed their checks at the court registry showed the application was only filed on Wednesday, July 8 at about 1:30 p.m., a day after the Attorney-General publicly stated that it had already been filed.
The firm further maintained that their client has not been formally charged or arraigned before any court in relation to the allegations contained in the Attorney-General’s statement.
Messrs. Dame & Partners accused the Attorney-General, the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the Bureau of National Investigations of deliberately disregarding the High Court’s order by arresting their client after he had been granted permission to travel.
The lawyers also criticised the bail conditions imposed by EOCO, under which Abdul-Wahab is required to provide bail in the sum of GH¢5 million with two justified sureties, describing the terms as “outrageous, unreasonable and a ploy to further curtail his liberties since he is not in the position to meet them.”
According to the firm, their client is already on bail granted by the court and has been reporting to EOCO every two weeks, making the new bail conditions unnecessary.
The statement concluded that if the Attorney-General, EOCO and BNI refuse to release Abdul-Wahab, he has resolved to remain in custody until the courts determine the matter and uphold what he believes are his fundamental human rights.
