Sulemana Braimah questions extended detention of Baffour Awuah

The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Sulemana Braimah, has voiced concern over the continued detention of Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, a Member of Parliament, and the slow progress in arranging a court hearing for his bail. Braimah stressed that a person’s freedom should not hinge on whether it is a weekday, and he expressed surprise at suggestions that authorities were exploring a weekend court session to expedite the bail decision. He argued that such a move would set an unusual precedent when liberty is at risk. During a radio discussion, host Lardy prompted Braimah to clarify the legal framework surrounding detention without trial. Lardy referenced Article 14 of the Constitution, which limits pre‑trial detention to 48 hours, and asked when the clock should start. Braimah explained that the 48‑hour period begins once a person is formally arrested, not merely when they voluntarily present themselves to an investigative body such as EOCO. He noted that the MP arrived at EOCO around 10 am on a Thursday and that roughly three hours passed before he was seen, meaning the arrest clock started later. The host affirmed that the constitutional requirement obliges state actors to bring a detained individual before a court promptly if bail is not granted. Braimah maintained that the principle should be straightforward: when liberty is threatened, the law must ensure the detained person appears before a court without unnecessary delay. He warned that using weekend or holiday courts as a workaround could undermine the purpose of timely judicial oversight. According to Braimah, the issue transcends the individual case, touching on the broader need for equal protection of liberty for all Ghanaians. The debate coincides with ongoing legal processes that have seen a High Court authorize EOCO to arrest the MP and conduct searches, while also directing the agency to act through the Speaker of Parliament. Braimah concluded that the law must work consistently for anyone whose freedom is restricted, regardless of status or circumstances.