By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah, GNA
Kumasi Sept. 24, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Executive Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the attack and harassment of Lawyer Nana Akwasi Agyei Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South.
According to the Executive Committee, the party would resist any attempt by the government to use state security apparatuses, particularly the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to intimidate, harass or unlawfully arrest its members and elected Members of Parliament (MPs).
A statement signed by Dr Francis Adomako, the Regional Secretary, and issued in Kumasi, emphasised the party’s resolve to defend its members as they carried out their lawful duties.
The party’s statement follows a volatile incident on Wednesday morning involving the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Baffour Awuah, and the EOCO.
According to the release, the lawmaker was accosted by individuals claiming to be officers of the EOCO as he returned to his vehicle after attending court proceedings.
The statement described the incident as egregious, questioning the justification for state operatives attempting to apprehend an attorney and sitting MP directly outside a court of law without clear cause.
While acknowledging that state security agencies have a legitimate mandate to carry out arrests and invitations in the interest of national security, the Ashanti Regional NPP stressed that such powers must not be exercised capriciously or arbitrarily.
The party warned that it had observed a concerning pattern of conduct by state investigative bodies, notably the EOCO, wherein standard operational procedures and statutory regulations are consistently bypassed, resulting in actions that are ultra vires (beyond their legal authority).
The NPP asserted that these state agencies are selectively targeting its membership without justifiable legal grounds.
To prevent further degradation of rule of law, the Ashanti Regional NPP called on key institutions, including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the National Peace Council and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), to intervene and address the growing disregard for constitutional procedures by state agencies.
The party maintained that while it remained committed to peace and legal order, it would henceforth use all legitimate means to defend its members against politically motivated intimidation and harassment.
It reassured all party faithful to conduct their lawful activities without fear of intimidation.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah