BY DANIEL BAMPOE
Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has pushed back against the High Court’s decision to issue a warrant for the arrest of Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, insisting that the Minority Caucus has not formally been served with notice of the order.
According to Mr Annoh-Dompreh, although the Minority has become aware of the warrant through media reports and other sources, the matter has not officially been communicated to the Caucus.
“Well, first of all, it hasn’t come to our attention formally. It is not something we are formally aware of. We have also heard it, I mean in person and also in the news,” he said.
He stressed that the Minority had consistently respected the law and due process, adding that the Caucus would comply with any properly constituted legal process once it was formally brought to its attention.
“We have been law-abiding. We have respected due process. If it is proven that we have to go through that motion, we will go through that motion because we have been a law-abiding group,” the Minority Chief Whip stated.
His comments follow a decision by the High Court on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to issue a warrant authorising the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest the Manhyia South MP.
The order was issued after EOCO told the court that it had exhausted reasonable means of securing the legislator’s voluntary attendance in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Sources close to Mr Baffour Awuah have, however, indicated that the MP is expected to report himself to EOCO, potentially paving the way for the next stage of the investigation.
The warrant comes a week after EOCO officers attempted to arrest the MP at the Accra High Court on September 23.
The earlier incident generated controversy after the attempted arrest took place at the court premises, with members of the Minority raising concerns about the manner in which the operation was conducted.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, who said he personally witnessed the incident, rejected any attempt to equate the earlier episode with the latest court-issued warrant.
“The whole process, what happened at the court premises, I was there. I was a living witness. That was a clear illegality. So you don’t compare apples and oranges. They are two different things that happened,” he said.
The Minority Chief Whip also dismissed suggestions that the Manhyia South MP had deliberately sought refuge in Parliament following the earlier attempted arrest.
He maintained that the circumstances surrounding the incident at the court premises were distinct from the subsequent judicial process that has resulted in the issuance of the warrant.
Meanwhile, EOCO has maintained that its attempted arrest of Mr Baffour Awuah formed part of an investigation for which the legislator had previously been invited on two occasions in February 2026.
Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Justice Srem-Sai, has said the investigation relates to alleged unauthorised financial transactions at SIC Life Savings & Loans Company Ltd.
The allegations reportedly include suspected financial loss, dissipation of public funds and money laundering.
However, the allegations remain under investigation and have not been established by a court.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh said the Minority would not pre-empt the legal process and would determine its position once the warrant and the circumstances surrounding its execution had formally come before the Caucus.
“If it is proven to be a formal process, and it’s a formal warrant that has been issued by a properly constituted court, let’s get to that bridge and we’ll know how to cross it,” he said.
