The State has appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn the Court of Appeal’s decision to suspend the trial of former National Food Buffer Stock Company Chief Executive Officer Hanan Aludiba and his wife, Faiza Seidu.
Deputy Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, announced the appeal in a Facebook post on Thursday, October 22, 2026, stating that it was filed a day earlier.
The appeal challenges the Court of Appeal’s October 19 decision to halt proceedings at the High Court pending the determination of Aludiba’s challenge to alleged defects in the charge sheet.
Aludiba and his wife are facing multiple charges, including stealing, defrauding by false pretences, wilfully causing financial loss to the Republic, using public office for profit, dishonestly receiving and money laundering.
The dispute arose after the High Court dismissed Aludiba’s application to strike out the charge sheet in July 2026. He subsequently appealed the ruling and applied for a stay of proceedings, which the Court of Appeal granted.
Dr Srem-Sai argued that a criminal trial should not be suspended merely because an accused person has raised objections to charges, particularly where those objections have already been dismissed by the trial court.
“The law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an Accused Person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, more so when those complaints were dismissed as meritless,” he stated.
The Deputy Attorney-General said the State was challenging the suspension because of its implications for the prosecution of criminal cases.
The appeal seeks to overturn the Court of Appeal’s order and allow the legal process to proceed. However, the Supreme Court has yet to announce a date for the hearing.
The Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether the High Court trial can proceed while Aludiba’s challenge to the charge sheet remains pending.
