Former Tamale Central MP Inusah Fuseini has criticised the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) for attempting to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, September 26, Mr Fuseini described the approach as problematic, arguing that EOCO could have obtained a court warrant and used the appropriate parliamentary channel to compel the legislator to appear before the agency.
“I think that the approach was problematic because why would they go and try to arrest him at the court premises,” he said.
Mr Fuseini said the circumstances surrounding the initial encounter suggested that a more measured approach could have been adopted.
He noted that the female EOCO official who first approached the MP was, in his view, “very civil, cordial and respectful”, suggesting that the initial engagement did not require a confrontational approach.
“Probably they knew that was why in the first instance when the approach was made, the lady was very civil, cordial and respectful,” he said.
According to the former MP, EOCO should instead have returned to court to obtain a warrant and have it served through the Speaker of Parliament to secure Mr Baffour Awuah’s attendance.
“I think that on a whole, what they ought to have done, they simply [had] to go to court to secure a warrant and serve the warrant on him through the Speaker and compel him to attend,” he said.
His comments follow the confrontation between the Manhyia South MP and EOCO personnel at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, which has triggered public debate over EOCO’s investigative powers and the procedures applicable when a sitting MP is required to assist an investigation.
Mr Fuseini maintained that obtaining a warrant and serving it through the Speaker would have provided a more appropriate route for compelling the MP to appear before EOCO.