Minority Leader of Ghana’s 9th Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called on the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to step up efforts to track down the financiers and masterminds behind drug trafficking operations linked to Ghana.

In a statement shared on social media on October 1, 2026, the Effutu MP raised concerns over what he sees as the intense attention being given to the case involving Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, despite the emergence of several major drug trafficking cases connected to Ghana.

He accused the government of being more focused on political opponents and public perception than on tackling what he described as serious organised crime threats facing the country.

“EOCO must pursue the kingpins, not persecute political opponents,” Afenyo-Markin stated.

His comments followed the arrest of Baffour Awuah by EOCO on October 1, after the Manhyia South MP voluntarily reported to the agency with his lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, and other Members of Parliament.

EOCO said the MP is cooperating with investigators in an ongoing probe involving alleged criminal conspiracy, financial loss to SIC Savings and Loans, money laundering, tax-related offences and other matters.

Afenyo-Markin questioned the manner in which the investigation and arrest of the MP had been handled, particularly the events surrounding an attempted arrest at the Accra High Court on September 23.

According to him, Baffour Awuah had referred EOCO’s February invitations to the Clerk of Parliament, but the agency allegedly refused to recognise correspondence from the Clerk.

He further questioned why EOCO did not subsequently approach the Speaker of Parliament before seeking an arrest warrant, arguing that the circumstances did not support what he described as an impression that the MP had deliberately avoided the agency.

The High Court subsequently issued a warrant on September 30 authorising EOCO to arrest Baffour Awuah and search for and seize documents considered relevant to the investigation.

EOCO has maintained that it made several attempts to secure his attendance and told the court that it had exhausted reasonable means of obtaining his voluntary cooperation.

Afenyo-Markin also criticised the decision to keep the MP waiting for hours after he voluntarily reported to EOCO before questioning began.

Manhyia South MP Arrest: Atta Akyea reveals formal charges levelled against Baffour Awuah

“This raises serious concerns about fairness and the exercise of investigative power,” he said, while alleging that the development formed part of a broader attempt to intimidate critical opposition voices.

The Minority Leader, however, stressed that his concerns should not be interpreted as an attempt to interfere with the SIC Life Savings and Loans investigation.

“We do not by this seek to prejudge the SIC Life Savings & Loans investigation. No one is above the law, EOCO included,” he stated.

The Minority Leader then turned his attention to the growing number of major drug seizures involving Ghana, demanding greater efforts to identify the individuals financing and coordinating the trafficking networks.

He cited a JoyNews Research tally which found that Ghana recorded 11 cocaine cases among 28 drug busts between March 2025 and September 22, 2026.

The research estimated the street value of the cocaine seized at between US$1.3 billion and US$1.7 billion.

The research also found that while seven of the 11 cocaine seizures occurred in Ghana, four major seizures were made abroad.

The foreign seizures in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Dunkirk accounted for about 12.4 tonnes, compared with about 3.6 tonnes from Ghanaian seizures where weights were available.

Among the cases cited are the seizure of nearly 4,500 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a timber shipment from Ghana at the port of Amsterdam, a 3.9-tonne cocaine seizure at Dunkirk involving a container shipped from Ghana, and the interception of about 3,319 kilograms of cocaine buried beneath sand in a tipper truck at Pedu Junction in Cape Coast.

On the back of that, Afenyo-Markin questioned whether Ghanaian security agencies were doing enough to trace the financial networks behind the trade.

“Ghanaians want to know: who are the financiers, organisers and beneficiaries? Where is the comparable zeal of our security agencies in pursuing them?” he asked.

He called on EOCO and the National Anti-Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) to work together to follow the money, identify assets linked to suspected drug trafficking networks and pursue evidence-based prosecutions.

“EOCO and NACOC must collaborate. Follow the money. Trace the assets. Pursue the kingpins,” he said.

The Minority Leader also accused the government of failing to demonstrate sufficient urgency in tackling illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

He argued that the environmental damage caused by illegal mining continues to worsen while questions about accountability remain unresolved.

Afenyo-Markin referred to President John Mahama’s previous acknowledgment that people associated with his administration were involved in illegal mining and his reference to “big fish who never get caught.”

He subsequently questioned what had become of a July 2025 directive to investigate two NDC officials over allegations connected to illegal mining.

“What we are witnessing is the golden age of impunity, epitomised by the surge in both galamsey and drug trafficking,” he said.

He called for what he described as a credible national campaign against drug trafficking, insisting that the state must focus on those financing and organising the networks rather than only pursuing individuals at the lower levels.

Afenyo-Markin ended his statement with three demands, including the immediate and unconditional release of Baffour Awuah from EOCO custody.

He also demanded an end to what he described as the misuse of arrest and prosecution to intimidate political opponents or suppress free expression.

His third demand was for intensified investigations into narcotics and illegal mining networks, including the lawful tracing and freezing of suspected criminal assets, evidence-based prosecutions and public accountability for the results of such investigations.

“Power is transient. Public authority carries responsibility, and accountability follows its exercise,” he told EOCO’s leadership.

He also assured the NPP Minority that it would continue to scrutinise the government’s actions.

“To the NDC: you will not harass us into silence. The Minority will continue holding this government to account. We will not bend the knee. The culture of silence is not coming back,” he stated.

EOCO MUST PURSUE THE KINGPINS, NOT PERSECUTE POLITICAL OPPONENTS

The public impression of the Government is increasingly one of a leadership that is shy of focusing on what matters but prioritises optics and, at the same time, is ultra-sensitive to criticism. A state that…

— Osahen Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin (@AfenyoMarkin) October 1, 2026