Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has accused Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, of deliberately refusing to honour an invitation from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO). Dr Srem-Sai described the lawyer's decision not to respond to the invitation as a "deliberate and principled position". He argued that there were no obstacles preventing Mr Awuah from appearing before the investigative body.
Dr Srem-Sai made these comments on Joy FM's Super Morning Show in response to Mr Awuah's claim that he had visited EOCO on several occasions after receiving the invitation but was not arrested. According to the Deputy Attorney-General, Mr Awuah had the opportunity to present himself to EOCO but chose not to do so. Dr Srem-Sai stated that Mr Awuah's explanations for not honouring the invitation were inconsistent with the facts of the case.
Dr Srem-Sai challenged Mr Awuah's argument that EOCO could have arrested him during one of his visits to its offices, where he had gone to represent clients. The Deputy Attorney-General described this argument as a "typical bad faith comment", saying it would have been inappropriate for EOCO to arrest a lawyer while he was performing his professional duties on behalf of a client.
Dr Srem-Sai explained that arresting Mr Awuah while he was representing a client would have strengthened Mr Awuah's argument that he was being targeted in the course of his work as a legal practitioner. He said EOCO was not expected to arrest lawyers who visited its premises to represent clients, as this would have raised more serious concerns about the treatment of legal practitioners.
The Deputy Attorney-General questioned why Mr Awuah did not use one of his visits to EOCO to respond to the invitation after completing his professional duties. Dr Srem-Sai asked, "If he had the energy, the time, to do his professional law work by visiting EOCO, then why did he not take one of those moments just after visiting EOCO to inform them that, oh, I received this invitation, I finished with my professional work, now I'm submitting myself to that?"
Dr Srem-Sai further stated that Mr Awuah's visits to EOCO demonstrated that he was not prevented from accessing the office. He said, "He always goes there according to his will and lives peacefully and goes home. So it is not even true that he has any restraint from going to EOCO." The Deputy Attorney-General also questioned the practicality of Mr Awuah's suggestion that EOCO should have arrested him during one of those visits.
The issue began with an invitation from EOCO to Mr Awuah, which he allegedly refused to honour. The Deputy Attorney-General's comments have added another layer to the controversy surrounding the invitation.
Key points
- Deputy AG accuses MP of deliberate refusal to honour EOCO invitation
- MP claims he visited EOCO but was not arrested
- Deputy AG challenges MP's argument on arrest during professional visits
