NPP Ashanti Region condemns attempted arrest of Manhyia South MP at High Court

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region has expressed strong disapproval of an attempted arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court. This incident, which took place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, was denounced as unlawful by the party, as per a statement released by its Regional Secretary Dr. Francis Adomako.

According to the statement, an officer from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) approached the MP at noon at the court premises and tried to serve him with an arrest warrant or an invitation. This resulted in a confrontation between the officer and the MP’s legal team. The NPP MP was present at the court to represent Salomey Baffoe Awiti, a nurse who is currently in police custody, with an ongoing bail application.

The party urged the EOCO to look into the officer's actions and take appropriate measures, claiming that the arrest attempt contravened the constitutional procedures for Members of Parliament. The Ashanti NPP further labeled the incident as a "potential kidnapping" and accused state security agencies of unlawfully targeting opposition party members.

The party also tied the incident to the ongoing controversy about cocaine trafficking in Ghana and demanded the establishment of a bipartisan committee by the Speaker of Parliament to investigate the issue. The NPP warned that any actions aimed at preventing its members from discussing the cocaine allegations would be seen as intimidation.

They called on the National Peace Council, Ghana Bar Association, civil society groups, religious leaders, and traditional authorities to voice their concerns over the alleged abuse of citizens' rights. The Ashanti NPP vowed to employ all legal and constitutional options to challenge what they deem unlawful actions by the EOCO and other state agencies.

The EOCO, however, maintains that the attempted arrest was connected to an ongoing investigation and that they had previously invited Baffour Awuah to cooperate with their inquiry. The specifics of the incident and the legal justification for the action are currently disputed.