GBA condemns alleged arrest on Manhyia South MP, calls on EOCO to follow constitutional processes

Nii Ayitey Brown 13:12 - 25 September 2026

Acting Executive Director of Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Raymond Archer (left), Manhyia South Member of Parliament and lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah (middle) and The president of the Ghana Bar Association, Efua Ghartey (right)

The Ghana Bar Association has raised concerns over EOCO's attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP and lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court.

GBA says the attempted arrest of lawyer-MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the High Court raises serious concerns for legal independence.
EOCO says the arrest attempt was part of lawful steps after the MP allegedly failed to honour two February invitations.
The controversy came as Baffour Awuah represented Salomey Baffoe, whose bail application was later rejected by the High Court.

The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned the process used by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in its attempted arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament and lawyer, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the Accra High Court.

GBA logo

According to the Association, such incidents could create a perception of intimidation and discourage lawyers from fully carrying out their duties.

“Attempts to circumvent these safeguards create the perception of intimidation and may have a chilling effect on the legal profession as a whole,” The GBA said in a statement.

The incident happened on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, after Baffour Awuah had represented his client, Salomey Awiti Baffoe, in court.

Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah

Video footage of the incident circulated widely on social media, showing a confrontation between the MP, members of his legal team and a woman identified as an official of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

A misunderstanding has reportedly broken out at the forecourt of the Accra High Court after an EOCO officer approached the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Hon. Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, to arrest him.

The situation escalated after the MP allegedly pushed the officer… pic.twitter.com/CGIQozcCQ5
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) September 23, 2026

The GBA said investigations or enforcement actions involving lawyers must still respect constitutional protections and established legal procedures.

While no individual is above the law, any investigation or enforcement action involving a member of the legal profession, especially when they are representing clients, must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures, and respect for professional independence.

The confrontation followed proceedings involving Salomey Awiti Baffoe, a senior nursing officer from Techiman who is facing a charge of allegedly abetting the publication of false news in connection with the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok case.

Baffour Awuah was representing Baffoe in her bail application at the High Court. After the proceedings, an EOCO official approached Baffour Awuah and sought to take him to the agency.

EOCO also responded with a different account of the circumstances clarifying that Baffour Awuah had previously been invited twice in February 2026 to assist with an ongoing investigation but did not honour the invitations.

EOCO said the attempted arrest was therefore part of what it described as lawful steps to secure his attendance.