Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has been granted bail of GH¢50 million with three sureties following his appearance before the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
The legislator voluntarily reported to EOCO’s offices at about 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, to assist investigators with an ongoing probe.
His appearance followed an arrest warrant issued by the Accra High Court after EOCO informed the court that earlier attempts to get him to report for questioning had not produced the desired result.
The investigation centres on allegations of criminal conspiracy, financial loss to SIC Savings and Loans, money laundering and tax-related offences, among other suspected violations.
Mr Baffour Awuah has, however, rejected the allegation that he received GH¢2.2 million in legal fees and has also contested EOCO’s account of its previous efforts to secure his attendance.
EOCO has maintained that its investigation is still underway and cautioned against reaching conclusions on the MP’s culpability before the relevant investigative and judicial processes are concluded.
Meanwhile, the development also triggered a fresh challenge from Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who has called on EOCO to step up its efforts to identify and prosecute individuals financing and coordinating Ghana-linked drug trafficking operations.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, October 1, the Effutu MP questioned what he described as EOCO’s focus on the arrest and investigation of opposition politicians, arguing that similar urgency should be applied to major narcotics-related investigations.
Mr Afenyo-Markin urged the anti-graft agency to expand its work beyond individual suspects and pursue the financiers and organisers allegedly operating behind drug trafficking networks linked to Ghana.
His comments come at a time of increased public attention on Ghana-linked narcotics investigations and EOCO’s handling of economic and organised crime cases.
The probe involving Mr Baffour Awuah remains active, with EOCO yet to conclude its investigations.
