Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has strongly condemned the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) following the re-arrest of former National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCo) CEO, Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni.
The couple was picked up by EOCO on Tuesday, May 5, shortly after the Attorney-General discontinued a case against them and three others at the High Court.
According to Deputy Attorney-General Justice Srem-Sai, the decision to withdraw the charges was based on the discovery of fresh evidence. He explained in a Facebook post that the move was intended to ensure a fair and speedy trial in line with constitutional requirements.
However, reacting to the development on May 6, Afenyo-Markin described the re-arrest as “unwarranted” and “needless,” arguing that it followed the collapse of the earlier prosecution.
He noted that the accused persons had been on trial for about a year before the case began to fall apart during a Case Management Conference. According to him, the court upheld objections raised by the defence after the prosecution attempted to introduce fresh witness statements without permission, ultimately forcing the Attorney-General to withdraw the charges.
The Effutu MP questioned why EOCO would move to re-arrest the couple immediately after the case was discontinued, calling the action “very shameful, reprehensible and most unworthy of a healthy democracy.”
He further alleged that the two have since been denied bail and access to their lawyers, despite previously being granted bail before the charges were dropped.
Afenyo-Markin accused state authorities of weaponising law enforcement processes for political purposes, particularly against members of the opposition.
“The law enforcement processes should be deployed to deal with actual wrongdoing in accordance with due process, and not used as a tool for propaganda,” he stated.
He also suggested that the move was aimed at sustaining the government’s anti-corruption narrative, referencing earlier public commentary surrounding the Buffer Stock case.
The Minority Leader has called on EOCO and the Attorney-General to immediately release the couple, warning that such actions risk undermining Ghana’s democratic principles and the rule of law.
He further urged EOCO Executive Director Raymond Archer to ensure the institution operates within the confines of the law.
“This impunity must stop,” Afenyo-Markin stressed, cautioning that state institutions must not be turned into tools for harassment or extra-judicial actions against citizens.
