A wave of indignation has swept through the Minority in Parliament following the arrest of Alhaji Abdul Hannan Wahab, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) and NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Pusiga.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) apprehended Mr. Wahab and his wife in what the Minority is decrying as a politically motivated act of intimidation.
In a simultaneous operation that unfolded in both Accra and Tamale, EOCO agents took the couple into custody, a move the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, described as a ‘disgraceful display.’
Also Read: Parliament: Northern Caucus inaugurated to champion development and foster a brighter future
EOCO probe
The investigation against Mr. Wahab centers on allegations of tax evasion, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. However, the Minority insists these accusations remain unsubstantiated.
Hon. Appiagyei vehemently stated, “This is not justice – it is political persecution. Mr. Wahab is a public servant, not a criminal. The treatment meted out to him and his wife is not only harsh, it is humiliating.”
Further fueling the Minority’s anger are the staggering bail terms slapped on the couple. Mr. Wahab was granted bail at a crushing GH₵50 million, demanding two sureties, both to be justified. His wife faces a GH₵30 million bail with a requirement for two sureties, one of whom must be justified.
The Deputy Minority Leader did not mince words, labelling these conditions as ‘excessive’ and citing legal precedents that emphasise the reasonableness of bail about an accused’s financial capacity. She questioned the legality and fairness of imposing such potentially bankrupting conditions.
Hon. Appiagyei pointed to this incident as symptomatic of a broader pattern of ‘political harassment’ allegedly orchestrated by the current NDC administration, asserting that individuals linked to the previous government are being unfairly targeted. The Minority expressed disappointment in EOCO, urging its Acting Executive Director, Mr. Raymond Archer, to uphold the institution’s integrity and resist political influence.
“You may control the present, but history will judge your conduct,” the statement cautioned.
While affirming their commitment to legitimate investigations, the Minority made it clear that they would not stand idly by in the face of what they perceive as an abuse of power for political ends.
“If anyone is suspected of wrongdoing, the law must take its course. But when institutions are weaponised to settle political scores, we damage the foundations of our democracy,” Hon. Appiagyei lamented, and appealed to civil society, religious leaders, the media, and all Ghanaians to resist what they termed “creeping authoritarianism.”
The Minority is demanding an immediate review of the bail conditions imposed on Mr. Wahab and his wife, stressing the need for Ghana to transcend the politics of revenge and retaliation.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com