The former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company Limited (NAFCO), Hanan Abdul-Wahab Aludiba, has been charged with allegedly stealing and causing a financial loss exceeding GH¢61 million.
The funds were reportedly intended for the procurement and supply of food items under the national school feeding component of the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme.
Court documents filed by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, allege that Mr. Aludiba and NAFCO’s Head of Finance, Richard Sam-Asante—both signatories to the company’s accounts—caused a loss of GH¢50,879,210 to the state. The pair allegedly transferred GH¢69,616,226.29 to Sawtina Enterprise, a company partly owned by NAFCO Regional Manager, James Tieku-Apawu, to purchase and deliver food supplies.
However, investigations claim that only about 20 per cent of the funds were used for legitimate supplies, while Mr. Aludiba personally received over GH¢50 million, resulting in a substantial loss to the state.
Prosecutors further allege that Mr. Aludiba stole an additional GH¢10 million from NAFCO, which he diverted into companies owned by himself and his wife, Faiza Seidu Wuni.
In total, Mr. Aludiba, his wife, and two firms—Aludiba Foundation and Energy Partners Limited—alongside Mr. Sam-Asante, have been charged with 24 counts including stealing, causing financial loss, money laundering, and abuse of public office. Mr. Sam-Asante is currently at large.
According to the prosecution, between 2017 and 2019, NAFCO transferred GH¢5,495,748.36 to Aludiba Enterprise, a company owned by the former CEO but not registered as a NAFCO supplier. In 2022, GH¢251,050 was also paid to Energy Partners Limited, although it had not provided any service or goods to NAFCO.
Further investigations revealed that GH¢4,401,831.58 of NAFCO’s funds were paid to Alqarni Enterprise, a business owned by Mr. Aludiba’s wife, under the guise of food supply contracts that turned out to be fictitious. Between 2020 and 2022, deposits totaling GH¢13,213,501.52 were made into the bank account of Fa-Hausa Ventures, another business owned by Mrs. Wuni, with her husband also listed as a signatory.
The prosecution noted that the funds deposited into Fa-Hausa Ventures’ account originated from Sawtina Enterprise and were later used to acquire properties in Accra, Tamale, and other locations. Investigations also revealed that more than GH¢161 million from the account had been invested in various securities and financial instruments for the couple’s personal benefit.
The accused persons are expected to appear before the High Court later this week.
