Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has questioned the procedure used by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) in its attempted arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the Accra High Court.
Mr Dafeamekpor, who is also the Member of Parliament for South Dayi and a lawyer, said Article 117 of the 1992 Constitution provided protections for Members of Parliament regarding the service of civil and criminal processes.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said the constitutional protection applied to MPs travelling to, attending or returning from parliamentary proceedings.
He argued that law enforcement agencies seeking to arrest a sitting MP were required to follow the applicable parliamentary procedures.
“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 said.
Mr Dafeamekpor cited the case of Boyefio v NTHC, arguing that where the law prescribed a procedure for exercising a right, that procedure had to be followed.
He said Parliament would resist attempts to breach established protocols and undermine the cordial relationship between Parliament and other state institutions.
His comments followed confirmation by EOCO that its officers had attempted to arrest Mr Baffour Awuah in connection with an ongoing investigation.
EOCO said it had invited the MP on two occasions in February 2026 to assist with the investigation, but the invitations had not been honoured.
The agency described the attempted arrest as one of the lawful steps it had taken to secure his attendance.
It said the arrest was not completed after the situation escalated, with officers assessing that further action could endanger public safety.
EOCO said it recognised and respected the constitutional privileges and immunities of MPs and would conduct its operations in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws.
Mr Dafeamekpor said any allegations against the MP should be dealt with through the appropriate constitutional procedures.
The incident occurred after Mr Baffour Awuah appeared at the Accra High Court as counsel for detained nurse Salomey Baffoe Awiti, whose bail hearing was adjourned to Thursday after prosecutors requested additional time.
Video footage circulating online showed a woman identifying herself as an EOCO official approaching the MP and asking him to accompany her. He subsequently drove away from the court premises amid a confrontation.
Mr Baffour Awuah later said he drove to safety because he was concerned about the circumstances surrounding the attempted arrest, while EOCO maintained that it was acting in the lawful discharge of its statutory responsibilities.
Mr Dafeamekpor also expressed concern that the incident could affect Ghana’s image, particularly as Parliament was hosting the ECOWAS Parliament for a major conference.
He urged all parties to respect the constitutional framework governing Parliament while allowing lawful investigations to proceed.
EOCO said the investigation remained active and that it would review video evidence and the circumstances surrounding the incident before determining its next steps.
