International corporate lawyer and entrepreneur Victoria Bright has questioned the continued detention of Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), arguing that the constitutional 48-hour detention period should not be treated as an automatic entitlement for investigators.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 3, Ms Bright said EOCO must be able to explain the specific investigative purpose being served by keeping the MP in custody.
“The 48-hour constitutional rule is there for a purpose. It’s there to safeguard against excessive detention, and we should not seem to now be treating it as a default entitlement of the state to detain everybody for 48 hours.”
According to her, “if EOCO believes Baffour Awuah’s continued detention is necessary, the agency should explain what investigative purpose the detention serves and bring him before the court as soon as possible.”
Her comments follow Baffour Awuah’s detention after he voluntarily reported himself to EOCO on October 1 to assist investigations into alleged financial offences involving SIC Life Savings and Loans. EOCO had earlier secured a High Court warrant for his arrest and searches of his office and residence.
Ms Bright noted that the MP is a sitting legislator whose residence and constituency are known, and who had voluntarily presented himself to investigators.
She argued that these circumstances should be considered when determining whether continued detention is necessary.
EOCO had said it was working with the Attorney-General’s Office to bring the MP before a weekend court, citing applicable constitutional timelines and procedural requirements governing bail.
Ms Bright’s comments come amid growing debate over the necessity and manner of Baffour Awuah’s detention, with his lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, also questioning why the MP was kept overnight after voluntarily reporting to EOCO.
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