General News
GBA condemns alleged EOCO attempt to arrest Manhyia South MP at High Court
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has condemned what it describes as an improper attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South Member of Parliament and lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court Complex.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 24, 2026, the GBA said the incident occurred on Wednesday, September 23, while Baffour Awuah was at the court premises in his capacity as a lawyer representing a client.
The statement was signed by GBA President Mrs Efua Ghartey and National Secretary Kwaku Gyau Baffour.
The Association said it had taken note of the incident with grave concern, particularly the circumstances surrounding the alleged attempt by EOCO officers to effect the arrest.
According to the GBA, videos of the incident circulating publicly appeared to show a lawyer complaining about being assaulted by a woman after he allegedly refused to allow officers to carry out the arrest.
While stressing that neither being a lawyer nor a Member of Parliament places anyone above the law, the Association said law enforcement actions involving lawyers must be carried out within the framework of the Constitution and applicable laws.
It said lawyers must also be able to carry out their professional responsibilities without intimidation or unnecessary interference.
The GBA warned that attempts to circumvent the safeguards surrounding the legal profession could create a perception of intimidation and potentially have a chilling effect on lawyers who represent clients in sensitive cases.
The Association said lawyers occupy a critical position in Ghana’s justice system and play an important role in protecting the rights of citizens.
It argued that interference with a lawyer’s ability to represent a client, particularly through what it described as arbitrary or irregular measures, could undermine confidence in the administration of justice and the rule of law.
The GBA therefore stressed that lawyers should be allowed to represent clients of their choice without being subjected to undue influence or intimidation.
The Association recalled comments made by its President, Mrs Efua Ghartey, during the 2025 annual GBA conference in Wa, where she raised concerns about incidents affecting lawyers while performing their professional duties.
She stated:
“The Bar must never be silent in its role as the voice of the profession. Unfortunately, recent incidents affecting lawyers in the performance of their duties have left much to be desired. Lawyers should be at liberty to defend clients of their choice without being unduly influenced.”
Mrs Ghartey also warned that such conduct could affect the willingness of lawyers to take up pro bono cases.
The Association also referred to an earlier incident involving Justice Minka Premo, a former Vice-President of the Ghana Bar Association, and a young female lawyer who was working with him.
According to the GBA, the two lawyers had gone to the former Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to defend a client when they were subjected to what the Association described as “regrettable treatment.”
The GBA said both lawyers were arrested and detained overnight.
It further noted that the female lawyer was a nursing mother and was separated from her baby as a result of the detention, initially preventing her from breastfeeding the child.
The Association questioned why the lawyers could not have been invited earlier if they had already come under the attention of security agencies before appearing at the BNI in their professional capacity.
The GBA said it continued to trust that security agencies would uphold Ghana’s constitutional principles of freedom and justice, while allowing lawyers to provide professional services to citizens without unnecessary obstruction.
The Bar has consequently called on EOCO and all relevant state institutions and agencies to ensure that their actions are consistent with due process, fairness and respect for the rights of persons involved in investigations and enforcement proceedings.
It emphasised that the principle of the rule of law requires not only that justice be done, but also that it be seen to be done.
“The independence of the legal profession is a cornerstone of every democratic society and must be protected at all times,” the Association said.
The GBA’s position, however, does not amount to a call for lawyers or MPs to be exempt from lawful investigations or arrests.
Rather, the Association said enforcement actions must be conducted through proper legal procedures and in a manner that does not interfere with a lawyer’s professional responsibility to represent a client.
The latest statement comes amid previous concerns raised by Baffour Awuah himself over the conduct of state institutions during arrests and investigations.
In July 2026, the Manhyia South MP criticised aspects of the arrest of NPP communications figure Dennis Miracles Aboagye by EOCO.
While acknowledging the authority and responsibility of state institutions to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, Baffour Awuah questioned aspects of the manner in which the arrest was handled.
The GBA’s latest statement focuses specifically on the broader issue of protecting lawyers while they are carrying out their professional duties.
The Association’s intervention therefore draws a distinction between a lawyer’s accountability under the law and the need to ensure that enforcement action does not improperly obstruct the lawyer’s representation of a client.
The statement was issued in Accra on September 24, 2026, and signed by Mrs Efua Ghartey, National President of the Ghana Bar Association, and Kwaku Gyau Baffour, National Secretary.