Ex-NAFCO CEO case: Court of Appeal grants Hanan's request to suspend trial pending his appeal

The Court of Appeal has granted an application by lawyers for former National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) Chief Executive Officer Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba to suspend his trial at the High Court pending the determination of an appeal against an earlier ruling.

A three-member panel of the appellate court ruled on Monday, October 19, 2026, that exceptional circumstances had been established to justify halting the proceedings.

The decision means the High Court trial will remain on hold while the Court of Appeal considers the substantive appeal challenging the lower court’s decision on the charges against the former NAFCO chief executive.

The legal dispute follows a July ruling by the High Court, which dismissed an application by Hanan Aludiba’s lawyers seeking to have the charges against him dropped over alleged defects in the charge sheet.

The High Court held that the charge sheet contained sufficient information to enable the defence to understand the case against him. However, it directed the prosecution to amend the specific charges challenged by the defence.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the former NAFCO CEO’s legal team, led by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, filed an appeal and subsequently applied for a stay of proceedings until the appeal could be determined.

The defence argued that the issues surrounding the charge sheet needed to be resolved before the trial continued.

The State, represented by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, opposed the application.

The prosecution argued that the defence had not demonstrated exceptional circumstances warranting a suspension of the High Court proceedings while the appeal was pending.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the defence, finding that the circumstances justified granting the application.

Presiding Justice Noble Nkrumah indicated that the charge sheet contained fundamental issues on which the prosecution intended to rely in presenting its case against Hanan Aludiba and his wife.

The court considered it necessary for the contentions surrounding the charge sheet to be resolved before the trial proceeded.

The ruling does not determine the merits of the underlying criminal case. Rather, it suspends the High Court proceedings until the appellate court determines the appeal against the earlier ruling.

The next stage will therefore be the Court of Appeal’s consideration of the substantive appeal, which will address the challenge to the High Court’s decision on the charge sheet.