The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has expressed concern over an attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, at the premises of the Accra High Court Complex while he was representing a client as a lawyer.
According to the GBA, the incident occurred on September 23, 2026, when EOCO officers allegedly attempted to arrest Mr Awuah at the court premises.
In a statement dated September 24, the GBA said it had also taken note of videos circulating on social media showing another lawyer, Mr Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, complaining of being assaulted by a woman who EOCO subsequently confirmed was one of its officers.
The GBA said that although no individual was above the law, investigations or enforcement actions involving lawyers, particularly when they are representing clients, must be undertaken in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures and respect for professional independence.
It cautioned that actions perceived as circumventing such safeguards could create an impression of intimidation and have a chilling effect on the legal profession.
“Lawyers play a critical role in the administration of justice and the protection of the rights of citizens,” the association said, adding that any action that appeared to interfere with lawyers’ ability to perform their professional duties through arbitrary or irregular measures could undermine public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law.
The GBA also referred to remarks previously made by its President concerning incidents involving lawyers in the discharge of their professional responsibilities.
At the GBA’s 2025 Annual Conference in Wa, the President stressed the need for lawyers to be able to defend clients of their choice without interference, while highlighting concerns over incidents affecting lawyers in the performance of their duties.
The association further cited remarks made at its Virtual Mid-Year Conference on June 5, 2026, regarding an earlier incident involving former GBA Vice-President, Justice Minka Premo, and a female lawyer who had reportedly accompanied him to the defence of a client at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
The GBA said the two lawyers were arrested and detained overnight in that incident, describing the treatment as regrettable and raising questions about whether the lawyers could have been invited earlier if they had already been under security scrutiny.
The association said the incident involving Mr Awuah should reinforce the need for state institutions to conduct their investigations and enforcement activities within the framework of due process and respect for individual rights.
It called on EOCO and all relevant state institutions and agencies to ensure that their actions were consistent with due process, fairness and respect for the rights of all persons involved.
“The rule of law demands not only that justice be done, but that it be seen to be done,” the GBA said.
It added that the independence of the legal profession was a cornerstone of a democratic society and must be protected.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
