ECSO Search Warrant on Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah Made Public Could Undermine Probe

The Economic and Organized Crime Office’s public disclosure of a search warrant against Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah could sabotage the very investigation it seeks to conduct, lawyer Austin Kwabena Brako-Powers has said.

He told 3FM on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, that a search warrant ordinarily demands some secrecy to prevent relevant documents from being hidden, altered or destroyed before authorities can seize them.

The High Court in Accra recently authorised EOCO to arrest the lawmaker and confiscate materials tied to an ongoing probe. The court further instructed that the arrest be carried out via the Speaker of Parliament.

This development follows a failed arrest attempt on September 23, 2026, at the Accra High Court. EOCO had previously sent two invitations to the MP in February, which it said were ignored.

Brako-Powers expressed alarm that widespread news of the warrant could give the target enough leeway to tamper with potential evidence. He asked whether the warrant’s intent could survive once the subject learns that investigators have been granted judicial power to search and seize.

“I’m curious – the purpose of securing a search warrant is to protect documents in the possession of an MP from being jeopardised or concealed,” he explained.

He wondered aloud whether persisting publicity might defeat the warrant’s objective by enabling the alleged wrongdoing to be hidden or obliterated.

Nevertheless, the lawyer also questioned the court’s directive that EOCO must seek the Speaker’s permission before proceeding with arrest and search operations.

He argued that the legal framework does not typically require EOCO to obtain parliamentary consent before taking lawful investigative steps, even though parliamentary privileges and constitutional safeguards must be honoured.

“The moment a court asks an EOCO officer to first secure the Speaker’s consent, that becomes problematic,” Brako-Powers said.

He stressed that the matter deserves careful scrutiny because parliamentary protections should not be weaponised to block legitimate prosecutions.

Brako-Powers further questioned whether the fact that Parliament was not in session or that the MP was not currently engaging in parliamentary duties should automatically dictate how investigations are conducted.

“The law does not say that when Parliament is not sitting or when an MP is not advancing legislative business, the Speaker’s approval must be obtained,” he noted.

The current warrant stems from allegations of unauthorised financial transactions, money laundering and dissipation of public funds involving SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited.

Brako-Powers said a representative of the MP’s former law firm had met investigators on three occasions and supplied requested information.

The High Court order now grants EOCO legal authority to arrest the MP, conduct a search and seize relevant materials while investigators continue to examine the accusations.