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The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) has returned money, laptops and mobile phones seized from former Ghana Buffer Stock Company CEO Hanan Abdul, his wife Hajia Faiza Wuni and their driver, who are standing trial over alleged financial crimes against the state.
The items returned include £6,700, GH¢2,750, two laptop computers and six mobile phones.
EOCO seized some of the items during investigations in 2025, while the money, one laptop and two mobile phones were seized on July 4, 2026, when Abdul was arrested at the airport.
He was detained for four days and prevented from travelling abroad under a court order granted for medical purposes.
Defence Sought Return of Seized Devices
The return of the items follows proceedings at the High Court in Accra, where lawyers for the accused argued that the seized electronic devices were essential to their defence.
At the court’s sitting on September 29, 2026, the prosecution indicated that it was ready to call its first witness.
However, lead counsel for Abdul, Godfred Dame, argued that the trial could not properly begin while the seized devices remained in EOCO’s possession.
He said the mobile phones contained information critical to the defence and that the accused needed access to them to prepare for the prosecution’s evidence.
“The phones contain information necessary for the conduct of the trial and related to matters that are central to the subject matter of the proceedings,” Dame told the court.
He said access to the devices was necessary to enable the first accused to prepare his defence, including raising objections to documents the prosecution might seek to tender.
Court Halts Start of Trial
Counsel for the second accused, Faizal Wuni, also told the court that his client had requested the return of her electronic devices, which he said would form part of her defence.
The prosecution argued that the trial could proceed while the court considered the application for the release of the seized properties.
Justice Francis Achibonga, however, ruled that the prosecution could not begin calling witnesses until the application had been determined.
The court noted that defence counsel might require access to the seized phones and other devices to prepare adequately for the trial.
It therefore considered it necessary to resolve the issue before the substantive hearing could begin.
EOCO Returns Items
Following the court proceedings, EOCO returned the seized items to the accused persons on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The returned property includes the cash, laptops and mobile phones that had been in the custody of the investigative agency.
The development allows the defence teams to regain access to the electronic devices ahead of the continuation of the case.
Trial Yet to Begin
Hanan Abdul, Hajia Faiza Wuni and their driver are facing financial crime allegations brought by the state.
The allegations remain before the court and the accused persons are entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty.
The prosecution had indicated its readiness to begin calling witnesses, but the dispute over the seized property delayed the start of its case.
The court will now proceed with the matter following the return of the items to the accused persons.
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