Lawyers representing former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, have called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to immediately return cash, mobile phones and other personal belongings they say were unlawfully retained following his arrest.
In a letter dated July 9, 2026, and addressed to the Attorney-General and EOCO’s Executive Director, legal firm Dame & Partners argued that there was no legal justification for the continued detention of their client’s personal property after his release from custody.
According to the lawyers, Mr Abdul-Wahab was arrested at the Accra International Airport on July 4 while preparing to travel to the United Kingdom for a scheduled medical appointment.
They said he was initially detained by the Bureau of National Intelligence before being transferred to EOCO, where he remained in custody until his release on the night of July 8.
The legal team stated that at the time of his arrest, Mr Abdul-Wahab was carrying two mobile phones, a wristwatch, a purse, his boarding pass, £5,000, £1,700 and GH¢2,750.
They explained that the money had been borrowed to finance his travel and medical treatment abroad.
According to the letter, EOCO later asked the former NAFCO CEO to report to its office on July 9 to retrieve his belongings.
However, the lawyers claim that only his empty purse, watch and boarding pass were returned, while the cash and two mobile phones remained in the agency’s custody.
They further alleged that an investigating officer informed their client that he had not been authorised to release the remaining items.
Dame & Partners also accused EOCO of unlawfully accessing data stored on Mr Abdul-Wahab’s mobile phones while he was in detention without first obtaining a court order.
The lawyers described the alleged action as a breach of his constitutional right to privacy under Article 18(2) of the 1992 Constitution.
The legal team further claimed that EOCO has continued to retain Mr Abdul-Wahab’s passport despite a High Court order issued on June 29 directing that it be released to facilitate his overseas medical trip before being returned to the court registrar.
The lawyers are demanding the immediate release of all outstanding personal belongings and a full account of any information allegedly extracted from the mobile phones.
They have warned that they may pursue legal action if the matter is not resolved promptly.
