Minority Leader Demands Equal Justice After Opposition MP’s Arrest

Kumasi, Ghana-The Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of arresting and terrorizing innocent members of the opposition party. Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the opposition would not be silenced by the NDC, during his speech at the New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Delegates Conference on Saturday.

The Minority Leader squarely criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), for arresting Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, on October 1, 2026. According to him, Mr. Awuah peacefully went to EOCO office after the Accra High Court issued a warrant for his arrest and to search his premises.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin said the developments which unfolded on September 23 were very unpleasant, because EOCO men wanted to arrest the sitting MP at the Accra High Court, after he had represented a nurse and mother of three, Salomey Awiti, in court, on a bail application.

The Minority Leader also asked the Chief Justice to review the provisions that allowed investigative agencies to go into court premises to arrest suspects or accused persons.

On his part, Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, who was present during the incident, said although the EOCO officer went to Mr Awuah with an invitation, unfortunately, the situation turned into an attempt to arrest the MP as the officer blocked his way. But EOCO officials later confirmed that the operation was aborted due to the elements of danger the security men felt by continuing with the operation.

On October 1, 2026, Mr Awuah reported at the EOCO office with his legal adviser Samuel Atta Akyea, and other MPs, and they were told he would be placed under arrest, as he was cooperating with the investigative agency. But the following day the High Court granted him bail of GH¢10 million with two sureties.

The bail was granted as the EOCO investigates the monies which were handled by the law firm of Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners, of which the MP was a former partner, on behalf of SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited, in a case concerning the recovery of about GH¢3.5 million invested with Equity Savings and Loans. The money with interest later grew to about GH¢14 million and a compromise was reached.

But the EOCO alleges that in addition to criminal conspiracy, Baffour Awuah and his firm also committed SIC Savings and Loans Company Ltd. to a loss amounting to a sum of about US$1.7 billion. Other charges against the MP include money laundering and tax-related crimes.

Alexander Afenyo-Markin criticised EOCO for saying Baffour Awuah was not available when they sent out their invites to him in February 2026. He said Mr Awuah had referred the February 2026 EOCO invitation to the Clerk of Parliament, but the agency rejected the invitation.

Afenyo-Markin asked whether EOCO had approached the Speaker of Parliament before going after the sitting MP with a warrant, because from the public’s perception, it is not within the provisions of law for an investigative agency to go into court premises to arrest a sitting MP, when the Chief Justice has made it public that no private investigative agency or police can enter court premises to arrest any person.

The Minority Leader added that unless the EOCO men had tried every way and means to get Mr Awuah to come with them before applying for the warrant to arrest the MP.

In his speech, Afenyo-Markin accused the EOCO of targeting NPP personalities instead of going after the money laundering, tax evasion, and criminal conspiracy, which continues to plague the country.

Afenyo-Markin further said the EOCO should shift their attention to the financiers and mastersminds of the huge drug trafficking network, which continues to hurt and destabilise Ghana, and which the NPP government has detected and arrested some key players in the past.

The NPP has in the past accused the state machinery of operating against them, and in August 2026, the party petitioned the Supreme Court and Jubilee House over the NDC government’s “selective arrests and justice”.

In the Manhyia South case, which triggered off the NPP’s shock, the NPP Communications team’s man Ross Owusu took exception to EOCO investigating the sitting MP over his former law firm’s professional matters.

Afenyo-Markin was speaking at the time the delegates elected the new national executives and debated proposals to amend the party’s constitution ahead of the 2028 general elections. There were 7100 delegates in the crowd in the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

The delegates adopted 14 amendments to the party’s constitution, including changing the provision that made the winning presidential candidate the party’s flag bearer. Afenyo-Markin used the platform to call for an end to the “injustice and lack of justice” meted out to NPP members and called for a level-playing field.

“We assure you all that we will defend our freedoms, insist on equal justice and pursue accountability through lawful democratic means. We, the mighty Minority, shall never be intimidated in Parliament. We will fight for you today, tomorrow, until we get victory 2028”, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said.

He urged Ghanaians to allow EOCO to do its work and exonerated them from the guilt of not bringing the killer of Mr. Baffour Awuah to book, adding that the EOCO would give a just verdict.

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