By Daniel Bampoe
The High Court in Accra has granted Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, permission to retrieve his passport after varying one of the bail conditions imposed on him in his ongoing criminal trial involving allegations of financial loss to the state and money laundering.
The Commercial Court 5 Division made the decision on Thursday, November 12, 2026, following an application by the MP’s lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, who argued that his client had no intention of fleeing the country and should be allowed access to his travel document while the case proceeds.
The application was not opposed by the prosecution, represented by Deputy Attorney-General Dr Justice Srem-Sai, paving the way for the presiding judge, Justice Charity Akosua Asem, to approve the request.
Atta Akyea told the court that his client was a sitting Member of Parliament whose constitutional responsibilities required him to attend parliamentary proceedings.
He argued that keeping the MP’s passport indefinitely could create difficulties for him in carrying out his parliamentary duties, particularly given the constitutional provisions governing prolonged absence from Parliament.
Counsel drew attention to Article 97(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, which provides that a Member of Parliament may lose their seat if they are absent from 15 sittings of Parliament without the Speaker’s written permission and are unable to offer a reasonable explanation to the Privileges Committee.
The court subsequently varied the bail condition requiring the MP’s passport to remain in the custody of the court registry.
The ruling, however, does not bring the criminal proceedings to an end or amount to an acquittal. Baffour Awuah remains on bail and is still expected to comply with the other conditions imposed by the court.
The Manhyia South MP is standing trial over allegations arising from legal work undertaken in connection with SIC Life Savings and Loans Company Limited in a loan recovery dispute involving Equity Savings and Loans.
The state alleges that the transactions surrounding the recovery process involved criminal conduct, including the intentional dissipation of public funds.
He faces charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, intentionally causing financial loss to a public body and money laundering. The alleged financial loss has been put at GH¢9.85 million.
The MP has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His lawyers have maintained that the transactions under investigation arose from legal services provided by his former law firm, Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners, on behalf of SIC Life Savings and Loans.
How The Case Reached Court
The matter attracted considerable attention in September 2026 after an attempt by officers of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the MP at the Accra High Court on September 23 resulted in a confrontation at the court premises.
Baffour Awuah subsequently described the encounter as an attempted abduction, while the controversy generated public debate over the circumstances surrounding EOCO’s efforts to secure his attendance for questioning.
On September 30, 2026, the High Court issued a warrant authorising EOCO to arrest the legislator after the agency informed the court that it had exhausted reasonable means of securing his voluntary attendance.
The MP eventually reported himself to EOCO on October 1, accompanied by his lawyers, and was detained and questioned as part of the investigation.
He was subsequently arraigned before the High Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail of GH¢10 million with two sureties.
