Former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has questioned the detention of Manhyia South MP, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), citing the 2017 investigation into the AMERI power deal involving current Bolgatanga East MP and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine.
Mr Dame said Dr Ayine was granted bail during the investigation into his alleged role in the AMERI deal and did not spend a day in custody.
“Dr. Dominic Ayine (MP), in 2017, was granted bail and never spent a single day in custody when he was investigated for his role in the Ameri deal,” Mr Dame said in a statement.
His comments followed Baffour Awuah’s detention after he voluntary surrendered to the EOCO on October 1, 2026.
EOCO said on October 2 that it was working with the Office of the Attorney-General to bring the Manhyia South MP before a weekend court, citing applicable constitutional timeframes and procedural requirements governing bail. The agency also denied reports that it had granted him GH¢50 million bail.
Dame questions Baffour Awuah detention
Mr Dame questioned why Baffour Awuah had spent two nights in EOCO custody without bail while being investigated over a transaction from which, according to him, the MP earned GH¢2.2 million in legal fees.
“On what account does Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah (MP) spend 2 nights in EOCO custody without bail when being investigated for a ‘transaction’ from which he earned legal fees of GhC 2.2M?” he asked.
He also questioned whether the issues arising from Baffour Awuah’s conduct in the transaction were criminal in nature.
EOCO’s investigation involves allegations including criminal conspiracy, financial loss to SIC Savings and Loans, money laundering and tax-related offences. The allegations remain under investigation and have not been determined by a court.
Ayine’s AMERI case
In drawing the comparison with Dr Ayine, Mr Dame referred to the handling of the AMERI investigation in 2017.
At the time, Dr Ayine was among former government officials questioned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) over the AMERI power deal. Contemporary reporting said the CID questioned Dr Ayine, then a former Deputy Attorney-General, alongside former Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor and former Deputy Power Minister John Jinapor as part of investigations into the transaction.
Mr Dame’s point is that Dr Ayine was granted bail and did not spend time in custody during that investigation.
He also cited former Minister for Works and Housing Alhaji Collins Dauda and former Deputy Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson as examples of public officials who, according to him, were granted self-recognisance bail without spending time in custody.
Mr Dame said Collins Dauda was granted self-recognisance bail despite standing trial over allegations involving about US$198 million, while Ato Forson was similarly granted self-recognisance bail in a case involving allegations valued at €2.3 million.
Dame alleges selective use of state power
The former Attorney-General argued that the differences in the handling of the cases raise broader questions about the exercise of investigative and prosecutorial powers.
“The deployment of state power to settle scores and punish political opponents is the lowest point of law enforcement,” he said.
He further alleged that the investigative and prosecutorial powers of EOCO, the CID and the Attorney-General’s Office had been used to target political opponents and settle what he described as “parochial scores.”
Those are Mr Dame’s characterisations of the conduct of the state institutions and the current investigation.
He also criticised what he described as inadequate attention to organised economic crime, particularly the narcotics trade, while investigative bodies focus on political opponents and freedom of expression.
“Meanwhile, real organised and economic crime like the narcotic trade reigns supreme in Ghana,” he said.
Baffour Awuah awaits court appearance
Baffour Awuah voluntarily surrendered to EOCO at about 10 a.m. on October 1 after the agency obtained a warrant for his arrest in connection with its investigation.
EOCO says he is cooperating with investigators and that the necessary investigative, procedural and operational processes are continuing.
The agency has not disclosed the specific court or time for the proposed weekend appearance. It has, however, made clear that reports of a GH¢50 million bail should be disregarded.
The court proceedings are expected to clarify the immediate status of Baffour Awuah’s detention and bail as EOCO’s investigation continues.
