EOCO Using Unfair Tactics to Keep Abdul-Wahab Hannan in Custody – NPP’s Salam Mustapha Alleges

Salam Mustapha, National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has accused the state of deliberately using harsh bail conditions as a covert means to keep former Buffer Stock CEO, Abdul-Wahab Hannan, in detention — even after being granted bail by a court.

His remarks come as pressure mounts on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) from NPP supporters, who gathered at the agency’s headquarters demanding Hannan’s immediate release. The former CEO was arrested alongside his wife on June 25 over allegations of financial misconduct.

While Hannan’s wife has since been released on a GH¢30 million bail, Hannan remains in EOCO custody despite reportedly meeting the GH¢60 million bail requirements.

In an interview with Channel One News at EOCO’s offices, Mustapha described the ongoing detention as a deliberate abuse of due process, accusing the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of manipulating legal procedures to prolong Hannan’s stay in custody.

Citing the case Martin Kpebu v. The Republic of Ghana, he stressed that under Ghanaian law, even serious crimes are bailable, making Hannan’s continued detention unjustifiable.

“When bail is made intentionally difficult to fulfill, it becomes a tool of oppression,” he said. “This so-called ‘backdoor strategy’—offering bail on paper but blocking actual release—is the government’s new tactic. It’s like handing over the head while holding onto the tail.”

Mustapha warned that such actions undermine public trust in legal institutions and violate the constitutional rights of accused persons.