{
  "id": 11490336,
  "title": "EOCO must pursue drug kingpins, not persecute political opponents – Afenyo-Markin",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/eoco-must-pursue-drug-kingpins-not-persecute-political-opponents",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T17:13:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/eoco-must-pursue-drug-kingpins-not-persecute-political-opponents-afenyo-markin/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ghanaian Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has criticized the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for focusing on prosecuting opposition MPs rather than targeting drug kingpins. In a statement titled \"EOCO Must Pursue The Kingpins, Not Persecute Political Opponents,\" Afenyo-Markin accused the state of selective justice and using punitive measures against political opponents. He specifically cited the case of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, who was confronted by an EOCO official with no warrant or identification, despite having previously provided correspondence to the Clerk of Parliament. Afenyo-Markin questioned why EOCO did not recognize the Clerk's communication and why a warrant was only obtained a week later. He also expressed concern over the lengthy questioning session Awuah faced before being cleared for arrest. The Minority Leader highlighted Ghana's alarming drug trafficking issue, citing a JoyNews Research report of 11 cocaine cases in 28 drug busts since March 2025, valued at $1.7 billion. He demanded EOCO collaborate with the National Anti-Corruption Commission to trace assets and pursue drug kingpins, while calling for the immediate release of Awuah and an end to intimidation tactics against political opponents.",
  "summary": "Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of selective justice, saying the state appears more interested in intimidating opposition MPs than cracking down on major narcotics networks. In a statement titled “EOCO Must Pursue The Kingpins, Not Persecute Political Opponents,” the Minority Leader condemned the handling of the case … The post…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "‘Baffour Awuah won’t die in EOCO’s detention, even if he dies there, that’s okay for us’ – John Boadu",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/baffour-awuah-wont-die-in-eocos-detention-even-if-he-dies-there-thats",
        "published": "2026-10-02T05:08:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Adom Online",
        "title": "‘Baffour Awuah won’t die in EOCO custody; even if he dies there, that’s okay for us’ – John Boadu",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/baffour-awuah-wont-die-in-eoco-custody-even-if-he-dies-there-thats",
        "published": "2026-10-02T05:47:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Ghanaian Times",
        "title": "Baffour Awuah reports himself to EOCO after arrest warrant",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/baffour-awuah-reports-himself-to-eoco-after-arrest-warrant",
        "published": "2026-10-02T06:37:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Starr FM",
        "title": "Baffour Awuah is ‘unfazed’ by EOCO’s probe – Asafo-Adjei",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/baffour-awuah-is-unfazed-by-eocos-probe-asafo-adjei",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:11:07.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "3News",
        "title": "Stop the misuse of arrest and prosecution to intimidate political opponents - Afenyo tells EOCO, govt",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/stop-the-misuse-of-arrest-and-prosecution-to-intimidate-political",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:20:37.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}