Afenyo-Markin urges probe into EOCO’s rambo style arrest of Miracles Aboagye

Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin has called for the Attorney General and Minister for Justice to be summoned before Parliament to explain what he describes as the growing excesses of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), following the arrest and detention of New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Dennis Miracles Aboagye.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin insisted that the issue goes beyond partisan politics and touches on fundamental human rights, due process and the future of the democracy.

He cautioned that today’s actions against opposition figures could become tomorrow’s precedent against those currently in government if state institutions are allowed to operate without adequate oversight.

“We are not against accountability; we are against the Rambo-style approach,” the Minority Leader declared, urging Members of Parliament on both sides of the House to treat the matter as a constitutional issue rather than a political contest.

The latest controversy follows the arrest of Dennis Miracles Aboagye upon his arrival at the Kotoka International Airport on Sunday, July 12, 2026.

The former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD) was intercepted by EOCO officers shortly after returning to Ghana from a brief trip abroad.

His arrest came only hours after he had publicly announced his intention to contest for the position of National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, a development that has fuelled political debate over the timing of the operation.

EOCO is investigating Miracles Aboagye over allegations of the misappropriation of public funds during his tenure at IMCCoD.

According to the agency, the investigation centres on the alleged embezzlement of state funds together with the Secretariat’s former accountant, Gerald Mensah, who investigators claim has begun refunding portions of the alleged losses.

However, the NPP argues that Dennis Miracles Aboagye has consistently cooperated with investigators since the matter first emerged.

The party recounts that after leaving office on February 2, 2025, following the change in government, Aboagye was contacted by his successor, Dr. Dominic Gameli Hoedoafia, who commissioned a forensic audit into the Secretariat’s finances.

In November 2025, the former Executive Secretary was formally asked to respond to a series of financial and administrative audit queries.

According to party officials, he submitted comprehensive responses within one week.

Subsequently, EOCO invited him for questioning on February 28, 2026.

He voluntarily honoured the invitation, spent less than an hour with investigators and was reportedly informed that he would only be contacted again if further clarification became necessary.

The NPP maintains that throughout the investigation, Aboagye was never informed that he had become a criminal suspect or that investigators intended to prosecute him.

After that interaction, he remained openly resident in Ghana, travelled freely and continued participating in public and political activities without restriction until his recent arrest at the airport.

The opposition therefore questions why EOCO chose to arrest him upon his voluntary return to Ghana instead of simply inviting him for further questioning, particularly when the agency itself has confirmed placing a stop-travel notice on him approximately one week before his arrival.

According to the NPP, stop notices are ordinarily intended to prevent suspects from fleeing the country, not to arrest citizens voluntarily returning home.

Afenyo-Markin told Parliament that the circumstances surrounding the arrest raise serious concerns about the manner in which investigative agencies are exercising their powers.

“The Attorney General should come to this House and brief us on what is happening at EOCO,” he urged.

“If a person was in the country, travelled and is returning voluntarily, why should he be arrested at the airport and detained? An invitation would have solved everything.”

The Minority Leader disclosed that Miracles Aboagye had remained in EOCO custody for more than three days before being granted bail under what he described as “oppressive and unrealistic” conditions.

EOCO has granted him bail in the sum of GH¢50 million with three sureties, two of whom must justify the bond with landed property.

The Minority says those conditions are excessive and effectively amount to punishment before any court has determined guilt.

“They are demanding properties worth GH¢50 million before he can enjoy his freedom,” Afenyo-Markin lamented.

“How do you do this to a citizen before trial?”

He further appealed to MPs across the political divide not to celebrate the development simply because it affects an opposition figure.

“It can be somebody today; tomorrow it can be you. There is another election ahead. Let us not encourage these excesses because governments change.”

Drawing from Parliament’s oversight responsibility, the Minority Leader argued that lawmakers have a constitutional duty to scrutinise the conduct of state investigative institutions, including EOCO, particularly where allegations of abuse of power arise.

He also referenced reports of investigations involving officials in other state institutions, including the Ghana Gold Board, cautioning that justice must be administered fairly and without political selectivity.

Afenyo-Markin also revealed that Dennis Miracles Aboagye had recently suffered personal hardship after reportedly losing property during the recent floods, describing his detention as an additional emotional burden on the former government official and his family.

“He has a wife and children.

He was already traumatised by the floods. Then to worsen it, you detain him for three days and impose these bail conditions,” he said.

While stressing that the Minority fully supports accountability and the investigation of allegations of corruption, he maintained that state institutions must exercise their powers with restraint, fairness and respect for the constitutional rights of suspects.

“We are not saying EOCO should not investigate. EOCO can investigate and do its work—but it must do so with a human face.”

The Minority Leader concluded by urging the Majority Leader to programme the Attorney General to appear before Parliament without delay to answer questions on EOCO’s operations, warning that the growing perception of heavy-handed law enforcement could undermine public confidence in the democratic institutions.

“We should not do this to ourselves as a country,” he cautioned.

“Miracles Aboagye deserves justice. Ghana cannot shut its eyes to what is happening. Parliament must act, and the Attorney General must come before this House to explain the human rights concerns surrounding EOCO’s conduct.”

Nana Prekoh Eric

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