General News of 2026-09-23
'Such acts hurt Ghana's image' – Majority Chief Whip blasts EOCO over MP arrest attempt
Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has condemned the attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
According to the South Dayi Member of Parliament, Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution provides a specific procedure for serving civil or criminal processes on the Speaker, Members of Parliament and the Clerk of Parliament.
MP’s Attempted Arrest: What we know so far
In a post shared on his X page, he said the constitutional protection applies when a Member of Parliament is on their way to, attending, or returning from official parliamentary proceedings.
However, Dafeamekpor argued that the interpretation and practice surrounding the provision have established a procedure requiring law enforcement agencies seeking to arrest an MP to first engage the Speaker of Parliament.
“So far, this is the procedure in force in respect of an arrest of MPs in all cases,” he said.
He therefore described it as “absolutely unacceptable” for EOCO to seek to arrest a sitting MP, particularly within the precincts of the court, without following the procedure he said was established under Article 117.
“It is therefore absolutely unacceptable for EOCO to seek to arrest a sitting Member of Parliament, especially within the precincts of Court, without applying the procedure in force regarding his Article 117 rights," he stated.
The Majority Chief Whip said law enforcement agencies must recognise Parliament as a co-equal arm of government and conduct their operations in a manner that respects its powers, image and dignity.
“EOCO and other law enforcement agencies must not relate and conduct themselves in a manner that constitutes infra dignitata and affront the powers, image, dignity and the general standing of Parliament as a coequal arm of government,” he said.
The Majority Chief Whip warned that parliamentary leaders would resist any attempt to undermine what he described as the established protocol and the cordial relationship between Parliament and other state institutions, including EOCO.
“As leaders in Parliament, we would resist any attempt to breach the established protocol and the cordial relationship that exists between Parliament and other institutions of state, including EOCO,” he stated.
He also raised concerns about the timing of the incident, noting that Parliament was hosting the ECOWAS Parliament in Accra for a major conference.
“Such seemingly casual cases of procedural improprieties hurt the sterling image of Ghana here and abroad,” he said.
He, however, maintained that if the MP is alleged to have committed an offence for which EOCO requires his presence, the appropriate legal processes should be allowed to take their course.
He stressed that the issue was not about shielding the MP from investigation but ensuring that any action taken against him complies with the procedure he said is required by law.
“So therefore, if the Hon Baffour-Awuah is alleged to have committed any offence for which EOCO requires his presence, by all means, let the law speak but let the law follow lawful procedure in Article 117 in doing so. We must all be guided,” he said.
Meanwhile, EOCO has explained its position on the reported attempt to arrest the MP.
According to EOCO, the MP has refused to honour invitations from the agency on two occasions.
See the post below:
HON. BAFFOUR & THE ATTEMPTED ARREST BY EOCO WITHIN THE PRECINCTS OF COURT ——————————————
1. Article 117 provides a terse procedure as to how The Speaker, MPs and the Clerk to Parliament shall be served with any Civil or Criminal processes.
2. This Constitutional protection…
— Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq. MP. (@etsedafeamekpor) September 23, 2026
JKB/MA
“You Sent My Office a Letter, So I’ll Come in My Car” – Lawyer Escapes EOCO Arrest Attempt
