EOCO, Baffour Awuah clash: Article 117 does not give MPs blanket protection from arrest – Samson Ayenini

Legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini has criticized the broad application of parliamentary privilege under Article 117 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, which he says provides blanket protection to MPs from arrest. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Anyenini clarified that Article 117 only applies when a legislator is "on his way to, attending at or returning from" parliamentary proceedings.

The legal expert highlighted the abuse of this protection, arguing that being an MP should not prevent law enforcement from acting if there is no evidence that the legislator is engaged in parliamentary business, especially when Parliament is on recess. He urged EOCO and other parties to verify claims of MPs attending parliamentary committees or other official business, as this should be easily verifiable.

Anyenini also pointed out that while security agencies like EOCO do not require parliamentary permission for arrests, they must notify the Speaker and provide details of the circumstances. The incident involved Manhyia South MP and lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, who reportedly clashed with EOCO security personnel at the Accra High Court.

EOCO claims it invited Awuah twice in 2026 to help with an ongoing investigation, while Awuah alleges he was questioned about an arrest without being shown an arrest warrant.

Brief written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.