Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has expressed his opinion that the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) embarrassed itself with a letter explaining its attempt to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah. In an interview on JoyNews' The Pulse, he stated that the letter, which mentioned EOCO's attempts to invite the MP since February 2026, exposed the agency's failure to follow established procedures for dealing with Members of Parliament.
According to Haruna Mohammed, state institutions seeking to invite an MP should follow parliamentary procedures, which involve formally writing to the Speaker of Parliament. He questioned whether the MP could be accused of refusing to honour an invitation if the proper procedure had not been followed. Mohammed argued that if a letter is delivered to an MP's office but not brought to their attention, it cannot be considered delivered.
Haruna Mohammed further criticized EOCO's indication that it would subsequently follow the parliamentary procedure, suggesting that it had not initially complied with it. He alleged that EOCO's actions were unlawful and that the letter they wrote has further embarrassed the agency. Mohammed's comments follow an alleged attempt to arrest the Manhyia South MP after he appeared at the High Court in Accra as counsel for detained nurse Salomey Baffoe Awiti.
The incident has sparked controversy, with many questioning EOCO's actions. The Minority has slammed EOCO over the attempted arrest, describing it as an abuse of power. In response, EOCO has stated that an MP's status does not place them beyond the law. The agency has also identified two persons who allegedly helped the MP escape arrest.
The MP's lawyers have disputed EOCO's claim over February invitations, stating that they were not aware of any such invitations. The Interior Ministry spokesperson has also weighed in on the issue, suggesting that pursuing the MP through Parliament would have made the arrest process more decorous.
The incident has raised concerns about the relationship between state institutions and Members of Parliament. According to the Minority Leader, there is a procedure that security agencies must follow when seeking to arrest MPs, which involves obtaining permission from the Speaker of Parliament.
The controversy surrounding EOCO's attempt to arrest the Manhyia South MP is ongoing, with many stakeholders weighing in on the issue. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how EOCO will respond to the criticism and whether the agency will take steps to improve its procedures for dealing with Members of Parliament.
Key points
- EOCO embarrassed itself with a letter explaining its attempt to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah.
- The agency failed to follow established procedures for dealing with Members of Parliament.
- The incident has sparked controversy and raised concerns about the relationship between state institutions and MPs.
