Former Ghana High Commissioner to India, Mike Oquaye Jnr, has questioned the decision by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to detain the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, after he voluntarily reported himself to the agency.
Mr Oquaye Jnr questioned why the MP, whom he described as a lawyer with no flight risk, was not allowed to return home after appearing at EOCO to assist with its investigations.
“An MP, a lawyer with no flight risk – goes to EOCO voluntarily at 11am to answer questions – instead of being allowed to go home and come the next day, VOLUNTARILY, he is detained for further questions?” he wrote.
He followed the comment with a question: “WHY? – 2028 – voters are coming.”
Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah reported to EOCO on Thursday, October 1, 2026, accompanied by his lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, after an Accra High Court issued an arrest and search warrant on September 30.
He was questioned by investigators but subsequently detained overnight, with EOCO expected to continue the interrogation.
The MP’s legal team has challenged the need for his continued detention, arguing that investigators had already obtained documents during searches of his residence and office.
The investigation concerns financial transactions involving SIC Life Savings and Loans and a debt recovery assignment linked to a defaulted investment with the defunct Equity Savings and Loans.
EOCO is examining suspected offences including criminal conspiracy, money laundering, causing financial loss and possible tax-related breaches arising from the transactions and legal fee arrangements.
Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the transactions formed part of legitimate legal work.
The latest development follows a September 23 confrontation between the MP and EOCO operatives near the Accra High Court.
The encounter resulted in the MP seeking temporary refuge within the parliamentary precincts and subsequently triggered debate among political and legal figures over the appropriate procedures for investigating a sitting Member of Parliament.
The court’s subsequent issuance of the arrest and search warrant paved the way for searches of the MP’s residence and office and his eventual voluntary appearance before EOCO.
The detention has since intensified debate over the exercise of investigative powers in cases involving sitting legislators.
While supporters of the MP have questioned the necessity of keeping him in custody after his voluntary appearance, EOCO’s actions form part of an ongoing investigation into the financial transactions under review.
Mr Oquaye Jnr’s comments have further injected a political dimension into the matter through his reference to the 2028 elections. His remarks, however, do not by themselves establish that the investigation is politically motivated.
The circumstances surrounding the detention, the outcome of EOCO’s investigations and any potential charges remain subject to the ongoing legal process.
By 1960news.com
