Atta Akyea questions EOCO’s basis for probing SIC Life settlement involving Manhyia South MP

Samuel Atta Akyea, the lawyer for Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has raised questions about the Economic and Organised Crime Office's (EOCO) investigation into a settlement involving SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited. Mr Atta Akyea argued that the presence of an unfavorable settlement does not inherently make a transaction criminal.

He asked, "How does a bad settlement translate into criminality?" The MP's lawyer, who was handling SIC Life's affairs at the time, said that Mr Baffour Awuah was following his client's instructions. Mr Atta Akyea emphasized that if the terms of the settlement were deemed unfavorable, that alone should not be considered evidence of criminal activity.

Additionally, he questioned whether EOCO's investigation could extend to the professional relationship between a lawyer and a client, especially in cases where the lawyer was acting on instructions. Concerning the search of the law firm, Mr Atta Akyea expressed concern about accessing confidential information belonging to various clients.

He noted that the sought-after SIC Life file had already been handed over to the client, thus should not be present at the law firm. He warned about the potential legal ramifications of accessing unrelated client files during the ongoing search. The Manhyia South MP is currently under investigation by EOCO for alleged unauthorized financial transactions at SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited. The investigation was conducted under a court warrant issued by EOCO.