Isaac Boamah Nyarko, the Member of Parliament for Effia, has publicly urged the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to reconsider the use of the 48‑hour statutory period as a justification for keeping Manhyia South MP Nana Adjei Baffour Awuah in custody.
Baffour Awuah remains in EOCO custody as part of an investigation into alleged unauthorised financial transactions at SIC Life Savings & Loans. The agency has linked the probe to accusations of financial loss, dissipation of public funds and money laundering, and secured a High Court warrant for his arrest after earlier attempts to secure his attendance for questioning failed.
Mr Awuah has disputed EOCO’s account, claiming that invitations issued earlier in the year were related to his former law firm, Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners, which represented SIC Life Savings & Loans.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Friday, October 2, 2026, Mr Nyarko said the 48‑hour period may apply to detention, but it does not mean investigators must keep a suspect in custody until the period expires. “If the hours have not reached 48, you cannot say they are defaulting or defying the rules, or breaching the rules. However, there can still be an application for bail before 48 hours,” he said.
He noted that a bail request had already been made after Baffour Awuah’s arrest but was declined by EOCO. “It shouldn’t be read that because you have 48 hours to grant bail, it is necessary that the person is kept for that period,” Mr Nyarko added.
Mr Nyarko argued that Baffour Awuah could be released while investigations continue and be required to return whenever investigators need him. “If there’s even further interrogation to be done, why can’t he be granted bail and be brought back any time you need him?” he asked.
The case continues to unfold as EOCO weighs its options and the parliamentary debate over the appropriate application of detention laws remains in the public eye.
