The Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, has failed to file his disclosures in the case of the Republic vs Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, the former chief executive officer of the Ghana Buffer Stock Company, and three others (the “Buffer Stock case”) some three months after the state filed criminal charges against the accused persons.
This is despite a press conference in October at which Dr Ayine in effect pronounced the accused guilty to an audience of both local and international media.
However, three months on, the Attorney General failed to file witness statements in the trial disclosures when the case was called in court on Tuesday (16 December 2025).
Disclosures require the Attorney General to surrender to the defence all the documents and exhibits his department will be relying on to prosecute its case.
This will enable defence lawyers to prepare their defence to the charges brought against their client.
Richard Gyambiby of Dame & Partners, who represents Hanan, said his client is ready for trial and has been waiting for the disclosures to prepare a defence.
“We firmly believe in the innocence of our client and will mount a zealous defence in his favour,” Gyambiby said. “The prosecution bears the onus to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hanan used his office to steal from the public and cause loss to the republic.
“We are convinced that the alleged acts could not have occurred under the accountability system that prevailed at Buffer Stock.”
AG struggling after “Rumble in Jungle” press conference
Meanwhile, a source close to EOCO, who requested anonymity, told Asaase News that EOCO is struggling with witness testimony despite the over-the-top press engagement by the AG in October, where he labelled his disclosures to the media as the “Rumble in the Jungle”.
At the press conference on 22 October, Dr Ayine detailed what he called an elaborate scheme to pilfer from the public purse and launder the proceeds of crime by acquiring real estate and luxury items.
On 28 October, Dr Ayine said 24 charges, including stealing, money laundering and causing financial loss to the state, had been levelled against Dr Hanan and his wife.
However, the source said, “Gathering the evidence has become tough. We are also finding that what we thought was foolproof is no longer foolproof, which has accounted for the delays.
“This is a critical case for Dr Ayine because his personal credibility is at stake. He was widely criticised and praised in the media after the press conference, so he wants to ensure the case progresses quickly in court.
“However, prosecution is a matter of evidence, and we are struggling to come up with what will stand in court,” the source said.
EOCO’s “wrongful” seizure of assets acquired before appointment
In a related development, Abdul-Wahab Hanan has petitioned the court to overturn freezing orders by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of certain properties of his, acquired long before his appointment as CEO of the Buffer Stock Company.
The properties include a three-bedroom house in Tamale, which, according to EOCO, is evidence of Hanan’s involvement in the crimes. However, the property was acquired in 2013 and served as the venue for his Muslim marriage that year.
He was appointed the chief executive of the Buffer Stock Company in 2017.
Other properties he has asked the court to declare as unlawfully frozen include three parcels of undeveloped land and an uncompleted property.
He contends that freezing the properties is unlawful and an affront to his rights to acquire property, to privacy, to a fair hearing and to the presumption of innocence.
The court has set 18 December to rule on the freezing orders. The other substantive matters in the trial, including adducing evidence and cross-examination, will resume in January 2026.