Afenyo-Markin alleges EOCO tried to arrest Manhyia South MP at Accra High Court

Pinned summary · as of 07:05

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin says the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) sent officers, in his words believed to be from that agency, to detain Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the MP for Manhyia South, as he was at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, 23 September. At a press conference the same day, he asked the Chief Justice to examine the practice and urged President John Dramani Mahama to keep his appointees in check.

What we know

• Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, alleged that officers believed to be from EOCO attempted to arrest Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Manhyia South MP, at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, 23 September, when the MP was at the court.
• Afenyo-Markin asked the Chief Justice to consider whether investigating agencies should be allowed onto court premises to detain suspects or accused persons.
• He called on President Mahama to control his appointees. “Watch these excesses, enough is enough. Call your appointees to order because this is not the Ghana we want,” Afenyo-Markin said.
• Afenyo-Markin said the Minority is not opposed to accountability or lawful investigations, but that state institutions must act within the law.
• He tied the behaviour of government officials to the President's legacy and urged Mr Mahama to use the rest of his term to bring real change to the country.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

• ?
  The Ghana Report quoted Afenyo-Markin as saying Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a lawyer, had gone to court to defend a client and was ambushed by EOCO officers just after leaving the courtroom. No other report gives this account, and the agency's side is not included.
• ?
  The Ghana Report said Afenyo-Markin explained that the Special Prosecutor's office, the police and EOCO are expected to send a formal letter to the Speaker whenever they want an MP to appear, and that Parliament's leadership then works with its legal directorate to produce the member. He asked why this route was not followed here. This has not been reported elsewhere.
• ?
  The Press Radio reported that the opposition accuses the government of singling out its members across several probes that touch on figures tied to the former administration. It added that government officials and state agencies maintain that probes and prosecutions must follow due process. No other report carries either position.
• ?
  Onua Online reported Afenyo-Markin as saying Mr Mahama has almost two years left in office and asking what he will tell Ghanaians when he reflects on his time in power. This appears only in that report.

Why it matters for Ghana

The dispute raises the question of whether suspects can be detained inside court premises, which matters to lawyers, litigants and MPs who attend hearings. It also sharpens the argument between the Minority and the government over whether investigations are being carried out within the law. The opposition says it will keep raising such concerns.