The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has expressed grave concern over an attempt by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, on the premises of the Accra High Court Complex on 23rd September 2026, while he had gone there to represent a client in his capacity as a lawyer.
In a statement dated Thursday, September 24 and jointly signed by National President Efua Ghartey and National Secretary Kwaku Gyau Baffour, Esq., the GBA said it also observed in widely circulated videos of the attempted arrest that another lawyer, Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, complained of being assaulted by a lady who was subsequently confirmed by EOCO to be its officer.
The Bar Association stressed that while no individual is above the law, any investigation or enforcement action involving a member of the legal profession, especially while representing clients, must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures, and respect for professional inindependence
It warned that attempts to circumvent these safeguards create the perception of intimidation and may have a chilling effect on the legal profession as a whole.
According to the GBA, lawyers play a critical role in the administration of justice and the protection of the rights of citizens, and any action that appears to interfere with their ability to discharge their professional duties risks undermining public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law.
The statement recalled remarks by the GBA President at the 2025 annual conference in Wa, where she noted that the Bar must never waiver in its role as the voice of the voiceless, and that recent incidents affecting lawyers in the performance of their duties had left much to be desired, cautioning that such unruly acts may stifle the provision of pro bono cases by well-meaning lawyers.
It also referenced remarks made by the President at the Virtual Mid-Year Conference on June 5, 2026, recalling an incident in which a former Vice President of the Bar, Justice Minka Premo, and his young female associate, who had gone to the defence of a client at BNI, were arrested and detained overnight, with the female lawyer, a nursing mother, separated from her baby and initially unable to feed her.
The GBA called on EOCO and all relevant state institutions and agencies to ensure that all actions taken in the discharge of their responsibilities are consistent with due process, fairness, and respect for the rights of all persons involved, stressing that the rule of law demands not only that justice be done, but that it be seen to be done, and that the independence of the legal profession must be protected at all times.