The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has rebuked the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for attempting to arrest the Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, inside the premises of the Accra High Court.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2026, has sparked outrage within the legal fraternity with the Bar describing it as a direct assault on lawyer-client representation.

According to a GBA statement dated September 24, Lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah had gone to the High Court not as an MP but in his professional capacity as a lawyer to represent a client when EOCO officers attempted to effect an arrest.

The GBA said it also observed in widely circulated videos that a second lawyer, Enoch Anhwere Afoakwa, was allegedly assaulted by a female officer later confirmed by EOCO to be part of its team.

The Bar warned that EOCO's action, if unchecked, sets a dangerous precedent where lawyers can be hounded even within the sanctuary of the courts.

"While no individual is above the law, any investigation or enforcement action involving a member of the legal profession especially when they are representing clients, must be conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional guarantees, applicable legal procedures, and respect for professional independence," a portion of the statement said.

The statement, jointly signed by the association’s National President, Efua Ghartey, and National Secretary, Kwaku Gyau Baffour, reminded the state agencies that lawyers are officers of the court and play a critical role in protecting citizens' rights.

The GBA referenced President Ghartey's earlier warnings at the 2025 Annual Conference in Wa and the June 2026 Mid-Year Conference where she decried similar "regrettable treatment" meted out to lawyers including the overnight detention of former Bar Vice President, Justice Minka Premo and his associate, a nursing mother who was separated from her baby.

"The Bar must never waver in its role as the voice of the voiceless. Lawyers should be at liberty to defend clients of their choice without being heckled," the President warned.

The GBA has urged EOCO and all relevant state institutions to ensure that all enforcement actions are consistent with due process, fairness, and respect for rights, insisting that the rule of law demands not only that justice be done but that it is seen to be done.