Majority Leader, James Agalga, has criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) over its attempted arrest of the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah.
He said the approach adopted by EOCO was unprofessional.
“The way EOCO went about the attempted arrest of Baffour Awuah was unprofessional,” Mr Agalga said on TV3’s Agenda on September 29.
He explained that Members of Parliament enjoy some level of immunity under the Standing Orders of Parliament, and EOCO should have channeled its request through the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin.
“They should have written to the Speaker,” he stressed.
Background
The incident occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2026, at the Accra High Court Complex, shortly after the MP, who is also a lawyer, had appeared to represent nurse Salomey Baffoe Awiti in a bail application linked to the ongoing “Ghana Jollof” case.
According to videos circulating online, a female EOCO official approached Baffour Awuah outside the court and asked him to accompany her to EOCO headquarters. The MP insisted on identification and an arrest warrant, which he said were not produced, and offered to drive himself in his own vehicle. The official reportedly insisted he board the EOCO vehicle.
A confrontation ensued around his vehicle, after which Baffour Awuah drove off to Parliament, which is currently on recess. He later described the encounter as an attempted state-sponsored kidnapping and an attempt to intimidate him over his defence of his client.
EOCO, in a statement on September 23, confirmed the attempted arrest. The Office said it was acting in lawful discharge of its duties and that Baffour Awuah had ignored two invitations issued in February 2026 to assist in an ongoing investigation.
“The Office had previously invited Hon. Baffour Awuah to assist with the investigation on two occasions in February 2026. The invitations were not honoured,” EOCO stated, adding that the arrest was not completed because officers assessed that a counter-action could endanger public safety.
Baffour Awuah has disputed EOCO’s account. He said he was never personally the subject of investigation, but rather his former law firm, Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners, which represents SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited, which is under investigation. He said he responded on February 18, 2026, informing EOCO that he had become an MP and had referred the matter to the Clerk of Parliament, and that a lawful representative of the firm subsequently cooperated on three occasions – March 4, March 18, and April 30, 2026.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions. The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) expressed grave concern, saying enforcement actions involving lawyers executing their duties must adhere to constitutional guarantees. The Ashanti Regional branch of the NPP condemned the move as unlawful, while private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has also argued that EOCO should have gone through the Speaker, citing parliamentary privilege.
EOCO has maintained that while it respects parliamentary privileges and immunities, being an MP does not place anyone beyond the law.
