Kpebu calls alleged attempt to detain MP in Ghana a regression — MyJoyOnline

In Accra, Ghana, private lawyer Martin Kpebu called the alleged attempt to detain Manhyia South Member of Parliament Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah on the premises of the High Court a regression for democracy. MyJoyOnline reports.

Confrontation near the court

The incident occurred on Wednesday, September 23, during a tense confrontation between the lawyers of detained Techiman nurse Salomey Baffoe Aviti and people believed to be officials of Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

In a video circulating online, a woman believed to be a security officer stands by a car door as the MP tries to get into it. A scuffle broke out after a verbal dispute. A man believed to be a member of the lawyer’s team opened the car door and pushed the woman aside, after which the MP drove away. Another vehicle, allegedly belonging to security officials, followed the MP’s car.

The circumstances of the incident have not been conclusively established. In particular, it has not been confirmed whether those present were EOCO officials or whether they were attempting to detain the MP.

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Lawyer’s position

Kpebu said that an attempt to detain an MP in this manner would be a step backward for democratic practice. In his view, if law enforcement officers require a parliamentarian’s presence, parliamentary procedure should be followed.

According to the lawyer, as far as he knows, under parliamentary legislation and the constitutional order, law enforcement officers must approach the Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker, he said, can then agree on a time when the parliamentarian will come for a meeting.

Kpebu also mentioned the practice during the time Professor Mike Oquaye was Speaker: police would sometimes meet MPs directly in Parliament. In his view, such an arrangement is necessary to prevent authorities from using the police or other security agencies against opposition MPs.

Bail hearing postponed

Salomey Baffoe Aviti’s lawyers are seeking her release after she was remanded in custody for two weeks in a case linked to the Ghana Jollof TikTok account. The High Court adjourned the hearing of the bail application to Thursday, September 24, at the prosecution’s request, as it needed additional time to respond to the defence application.