Arrest Warrant Forced Baffour Awuah to EOCO, Not Voluntary Appearance – NDC Lawyer

An arrest warrant, not voluntary cooperation, compelled Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah to report to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on October 1, according to Theophilius Dzimega Jr, a lawyer and member of the National Democratic Congress Communication Team.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 3, Mr Dzimega challenged the official characterisation of the MP's appearance as voluntary, emphasising that the Accra High Court had issued an arrest warrant on September 30 following EOCO's inability to secure his attendance through earlier invitations.

"The idea that he went there voluntarily is not voluntary. There had been an arrest warrant issued. And it is the pain of being arrested based on the back of that arrest warrant that made him go there," Mr Dzimega stated.

The Legal Context

The High Court issued the warrant after EOCO informed the court that it had exhausted reasonable efforts to secure the MP's voluntary attendance. EOCO had first invited Mr Baffour Awuah in February 2026 on two separate occasions, but those invitations went unanswered.

Mr Dzimega acknowledged that the arrest warrant remained unexecuted at the time the MP presented himself at EOCO's offices on October 1. However, he maintained that Mr Baffour Awuah had been formally placed on notice of authorities' intention to arrest him, effectively removing any voluntary character from his appearance.

"Yes, we could say that the arrest warrant was not executed. That is granted. But generally, I think he's been put on notice and almost everybody has been put on notice that an arrest warrant has been issued to bring Baffour Awuah," the NDC lawyer explained.

When Mr Baffour Awuah did report to EOCO, he came accompanied by his lawyer Samuel Atta Akyea and several parliamentary colleagues. He remained in EOCO custody as investigators continued their work into allegations involving SIC Life Savings and Loans.

Questions Over Initial Invitations

Mr Dzimega also cast doubt on EOCO's assertion that the MP had simply ignored earlier invitations issued in February. He questioned how informal communications could constitute proper notice, especially when the MP's parliamentary duties might have prevented him from attending.

"If someone was invited way back in February and the person never attended, and there had been issues like 'I'll send the letter to the clerk of parliament, etc.', we do not know what went on behind the scenes," Mr Dzimega said. He noted that expecting the MP to respond to street-corner conversations or casual encounters would be unrealistic as a method of compelling official attendance.

The lawyer stressed that accuracy in describing the circumstances of the MP's appearance was crucial, particularly given the public nature of the case and its implications for how parliamentary privilege and official processes interact.

Why This Matters for Ghana

This dispute over whether Baffour Awuah's appearance was truly voluntary speaks to broader questions about the independence and fairness of Ghana's anti-corruption institutions. The case highlights tension between EOCO's enforcement authority and parliamentary immunity considerations—issues that Ghanaians have followed closely given the government's stated commitment to fighting corruption.

The investigation itself concerns alleged unauthorised financial transactions, suspected financial loss, dissipation of public funds, and money laundering—serious allegations that affect public confidence in financial institutions and governance. How such cases are handled, particularly regarding the process and circumstances of bringing suspects in for questioning, matters for public trust in both the institutions involved and the rule of law.

The NDC's public challenge to the narrative also reflects the political sensitivity surrounding high-profile investigations in Ghana, where perceptions of selective enforcement or politically motivated prosecutions have long been contested.