Former NAFCO CEO Seeks High Court Review of EOCO Freeze
Former NAFCO chief Abdul‑Wahab Hanan has petitioned the High Court to overturn an Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) freezing order on four Tamale properties, with a hearing set for 18 December.
In a sworn affidavit, Hanan contends that EOCO acted unlawfully by targeting assets he either owned before his NAFCO tenure or that bear no connection to any alleged crime, arguing the order infringes his constitutional rights.
The properties in question are a three‑bedroom house at Kpalsi, Tamale (GPS NS‑056‑9690), an unfinished storey building at Gumani, a 0.27‑acre plot at Estate Junction, Tamale, and a 0.29‑acre plot at Workers College, Tamale.
Hanan insists EOCO obtained the freezing order ex parte, denying him a chance to be heard, a breach of sections thirty‑three to thirty‑five of the Economic and Organised Crime Act, 2010 (Act 804).
He highlighted that the Kpalsi house was purchased in 2011 and completed in 2013, years before his appointment at NAFCO, and even hosted part of his Islamic marriage ceremony, making it unrelated to any criminal proceeds.
Regarding the Gumani building, Hanan says he holds no interest, and he maintains that the Estate Junction plot belongs to Al‑Qarni Enterprise, which was transferred to OSGAF Furniture Enterprise in 2022.
“The order was issued without giving me an opportunity to be heard,” Hanan stated in his affidavit. “My properties were acquired long before I joined NAFCO,” he added.
He also alleges EOCO violated his rights during his arrest on 25 June 2025, detaining him for two weeks and conducting warrantless searches of his homes in Accra and Tamale.
According to Hanan, he only received notice of the freezing order on 26 November 2025, despite legal requirements for prompt notification.
Hanan maintains that EOCO has not presented any evidence linking the four assets to illicit proceeds.
The High Court is scheduled to hear his motion to review the freezing order on 18 December, a decision that could set a precedent for how EOCO implements asset freezes in future investigations.
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