Why arrest him at court? – Sulemana Braimah questions EOCO’s handling of Baffour Awuah
by Gabs · MyNewsGh.comSulemana Braimah has questioned why EOCO chose to confront Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah at the High Court premises when, according to the agency, it had been looking for him since February.
Braimah said the timing of the attempted arrest was difficult to understand because Baffour Awuah had remained publicly active and had even appeared on Newsfile several times during the period.
“When I read EOCO’s statement indicating that this guy was invited or Baffour Awuah was invited in February and he failed to turn up, and that is why they decided on 23rd of September to arrest him at the court premises, I was really surprised,” he said on Newsfile on JoyNews.
Braimah told host Samson Lardy that he had personally been on the same platform with Baffour Awuah more than twice between February and the September incident.
“And I was telling a friend that between February and the time that court incident happened at the court, I think I’ve been with Baffour Awuah on this platform for more than two times,” he said.
His argument was that if EOCO was genuinely trying to locate Baffour Awuah, there had been several less dramatic opportunities to approach him.
“So if this guy was being looked for, this could have been an easier place to perhaps pick him than maybe the court premises where he had gone to represent someone,” Braimah said.
Samson Lardy then pointed out that Baffour Awuah had also said he had personally gone to EOCO during the period.
“He said, in fact, he had been to EOCO too,” Lardy interjected.
“Exactly,” Braimah responded. “He says he’s actually gone to EOCO to represent people. And I’m wondering why didn’t they then say, ‘Okay, you, we are looking for you,’” he added.
The MFWA boss said the circumstances became even more sensitive because Baffour Awuah was at the court to represent Salomey Baffoe Awiti, a woman whose case had attracted significant public attention.
He questioned whether arresting a lawyer at court immediately after representing a client could create a perception problem for the state.
“The Deputy Attorney General is telling you that what would you not have said if a lawyer goes to represent a client and he gets arrested at EOCO?” he asked.
Lardy then challenged him on whether the same principle applied to the High Court incident.
“Yeah, but is it not about the same thing that happened at the court premises?” the host asked.
Braimah agreed, arguing that the situation could easily be interpreted as something more than an ordinary investigation.
He said the perception was especially strong because the client Baffour Awuah had represented had made claims considered unfavourable to the government.
“And then in the court premises, you say, ‘Look, we are looking for you,’” Braimah said.
“It’s almost like this guy is wanted and we’ve been looking for him and we cannot find him.”
Braimah said that sequence of events could feed the perception that EOCO’s actions were intended to demonstrate state power rather than simply advance an investigation.
“That created a scenario that feeds into the perception that could this be just an act of power play rather than the state really pursuing justice and ensuring that the right things are done,” he said.
EOCO has maintained that the September 23 operation was connected to an ongoing investigation and that Baffour Awuah had failed to honour two invitations issued in February.
Baffour Awuah has disputed that account, saying a representative of his former law firm subsequently engaged EOCO on three occasions and submitted a written statement.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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