Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has denied claims by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) that he ignored invitations to assist with an ongoing investigation. According to Baffour Awuah, the EOCO invitation was not issued to him as the subject of an investigation, but to him in his former capacity as Senior Partner of Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners. The law firm represented SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited.
EOCO officials attempted to arrest Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court, citing the action as part of lawful steps to secure his attendance in the ongoing investigation. The anti-graft agency claimed that the MP was invited on two occasions in February 2026 but failed to honour the invitations. Baffour Awuah, however, stated that the February 10, 2026 letter from EOCO invited the Senior Partner of his law firm to assist with investigations involving the firm's client.
By the time the invitation was received, Baffour Awuah had become a Member of Parliament and was no longer acting as the Senior Partner of the firm. He subsequently wrote to EOCO on February 18, 2026, informing the Office that, as an MP, he had referred the matter to the Clerk to Parliament for advice. This, according to Baffour Awuah, was the appropriate course of action.
A lawful representative of the firm subsequently engaged EOCO and cooperated with its investigation. The representative attended interrogations on three separate occasions, on March 4, March 18 and April 30, 2026. During these sessions, the representative provided all information requested by EOCO and submitted a formal written statement to the Office on April 30.
Baffour Awuah disputed the suggestion that the invitations had been ignored, arguing that the firm had complied with the request for information. He stated that since the lawful representative of the firm engaged with EOCO and provided the required information and formal written statement, there had been no further invitation.
EOCO has maintained that its attempted arrest of the MP was connected to an ongoing investigation and followed two invitations issued in February. The Office said the attempted arrest was not completed after the situation escalated and officers assessed that proceeding could endanger public safety. The investigation, according to EOCO, remains active.
The disagreement between Baffour Awuah and EOCO centres on the capacity in which the February invitations were issued and whether subsequent cooperation by the law firm satisfied EOCO's request for the MP's attendance. Baffour Awuah's denial of EOCO's claims has highlighted the complexities of the case and the need for further clarification.
Key points
- Baffour Awuah denies ignoring EOCO invitations
- EOCO maintains that the investigation is ongoing
- The disagreement centres on the capacity of the February invitations
