Home - 'The appetite for vengeance is too high' – Martin Kpebu on EOCO's attempted arrest of NPP MP

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has linked the standoff between the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah to what he describes as an excessive appetite for vengeance in Ghanaian politics.

Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on September 26, 2026, Kpebu criticised EOCO’s attempted arrest of the MP and called for law enforcement agencies to adopt a parliamentary approach when they need to question Members of Parliament.

The comments follow EOCO’s attempt to arrest Baffour Awuah at the Accra High Court Complex on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Kpebu said the agency should have gone through the Speaker of Parliament instead of attempting to arrest the MP.

He recalled a practice under former Speaker Mike Aaron Ouaye, where law enforcement officials could meet MPs at Parliament House rather than requiring them to report to a police station.

“You see, when [Oquaye] was Speaker, he had this good practice where instead of allowing the MP to go down to the police station, he would let them come to Parliament House,” he said.

Kpebu said he believed that approach should be maintained because of what he described as the high level of vengeance in Ghana’s political system.

“And I think we must go with that one. Because in this country, we have too much vengeance. People, the appetite for vengeance is just too high in our politics,” he said.

He questioned the apparent contradiction between the teachings of forgiveness in churches and the conduct of political actors when they assume power.

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“Meanwhile, on Sundays, the churches are full. On Fridays, they must be full. So many, I mean, come on, what vengeance?” he asked.

He added, “We are Christians. Forgive. You go and preach, forgive, forgive, forgive. You come into government and you want to do vengeance. What kind of [thing is that]?”

Mr Kpebu therefore urged law enforcement agencies seeking to question MPs to send their applications to the Speaker of Parliament.

“Please, let’s go with the [former Speaker’s] method. If you need an MP, send the application to the Speaker. Section 20 of Act 300. And let’s use the [former Speaker’s] practice. Let the MP be there,” he said.

He said Parliament has facilities that could be used for such engagements, including conference rooms where investigators could meet MPs.

“The Speaker has many conference rooms, etc. Let the law enforcement agency go there,” he added.

According to Kpebu, taking MPs to police stations could create room for harassment, particularly where investigators keep them waiting for several hours.

“Because when the MP goes into the police station, etc., there’s room for a lot of harassment.”

“You can go in at 9am. They let you [wait]. ‘We are coming. The investigator is here. He’s not there. The director is coming.’ You can go at 9am and leave at 12 midnight,” he stated.

He said such practices should not be encouraged, stressing that they do not help the country’s efforts to build a strong society.

“We don’t like those abuses. It doesn’t help us. We are building a strong society,” Kpebu added.

JKB/EB

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