Former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has delivered a stinging rebuke of Ghana’s law-enforcement establishment. He accuses the state of turning the instruments of justice into weapons of political retribution.
In a statement published on Saturday, October 3, 2026, Mr Dame took aim at the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Office of the Attorney-General. He said arrests, investigations and prosecutorial discretion are being used to settle political scores.
“The deployment of state power to settle scores and punish political opponents is the lowest point of law enforcement,” he said.
He described the conduct of the three institutions over the past two years as “gross and awkward exploitation” and insisted that nothing like it has been seen before.
The statement comes as Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah remains in EOCO custody.
The lawmaker reported to the agency voluntarily on October 1, after an Accra High Court issued a warrant authorising his arrest and the search of his office. EOCO says its investigation covers allegations including criminal conspiracy, financial loss to SIC Life Savings and Loans, money laundering and tax-related offences.
The matter had already made headlines. On September 23, EOCO officers tried to take the MP into custody at the Accra High Court, where he was representing a client in a bail application. EOCO says it had been trying without success to secure his attendance for questioning.
For Mr Dame, the sticking point is how long the MP has been held.
“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 GH¢2.2M?” he asked.
He went further and questioned the very foundation of the case:
“In any event, are the issues raised from his conduct in the matter criminal?”
EOCO insists its investigation is ongoing and that Mr Baffour Awuah has been cooperating with investigators.
The MP disputes parts of that account. He says a representative of his law firm had already assisted investigators on several occasions and supplied the information requested. His lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, has questioned why a client who reported voluntarily and cooperated should be held at all.
Even the question of bail has been muddied. On October 2, the Ghana News Agency reported that EOCO had granted the MP GH¢50 million bail with three sureties. EOCO then asked the public to disregard those reports and said it had granted no such bail.
To make his case, Mr Dame pointed to past cases involving prominent political figures, all of whom, he says, were treated far more gently:
Alhaji Collins Dauda, former Minister for Works and Housing, was granted self-recognisance bail, according to Mr Dame, and spent no time in custody despite standing trial over allegations involving about US$198 million.
Cassiel Ato Forson, then a former Deputy Finance Minister, was likewise granted self-recognisance bail, Mr Dame said, and did not spend a day in custody while facing trial over offences involving about €2.3 million.
Dr Dominic Ayine, former Deputy Attorney-General, was granted bail in 2017 and spent no time in custody, Mr Dame said, when investigated over his role in the AMERI deal.
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The comparisons carry extra weight today. Mr Forson is now Finance Minister and Dr Ayine is the sitting Attorney-General, so the officials in his examples now sit at the centre of the current administration. Mr Dame used them to argue that political figures are not being treated equally.
A Charge of Selective Enforcement
The former Attorney-General then widened his attack.
“It is correct to say that the investigative and prosecutorial authority of certain state institutions is being utilised to punish political opponents and settle parochial scores,” he stated.
He also accused the agencies of misplaced priorities.
“Meanwhile, real organised and economic crime like the narcotic trade reigns supreme in Ghana,” he said, alleging that investigators are “busily chasing political opponents and suppressing free speech.”
EOCO has pushed back on any suggestion of bias. It says the investigation will be professional, independent and in line with due process, and that everyone involved will enjoy their constitutional and legal rights. It urged the public to avoid speculation or premature conclusions about anyone’s guilt while the investigation and court processes continue.
As of October 3, the agency said it was working with the Attorney-General’s Office to bring Mr Baffour Awuah before a court. It added that it remains mindful of the constitutional and procedural requirements governing detention and bail.
The standoff puts an old tension back in the spotlight. The state must be free to pursue suspected economic and organised crime, but those under investigation are entitled to constitutional protection. Public confidence in law-enforcement agencies depends on their being seen as independent, and how EOCO handles the next few days will shape how that confidence is judged.
Below is what Godfred Dame shared on Facebook:
The deployment of state power to settle scores and punish political opponents is the lowest point of law enforcement.
The gross and awkward exploitation of the power of arrests, investigations and prosecutorial discretion by the EOCO, CID and the Attorney-General the past 2 years are certainly unprecedented.
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Contrast with the very recent past where the constitutional rights of all, including Members Parliament and former ministers to be released within 48 hours or be brought before court, were fully respected without any difficulty.
Thus, Alhaji Collins Dauda was granted self-recognisance bail. He never spent a single day in custody even though he stood trial for causing financial loss in the sum of about US$198Million. Cassiel Ato Forson waa granted self-recognisance bail without spending a single day in custody even though he stood trial for offences with a value of US€2.3million.
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.
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?
In any event, are the issues raised from his conduct in the matter criminal?
It is correct to say that the investigative and prosecutorial authority of certain state institutions is being utilised to punish political opponents and settle parochial scores.
Meanwhile, real organised and economic crime like the narcotic trade reigns supreme in Ghana.The investigative bodies are busily chasing political opponents and suppressing free speech.