Miracles Aboagye questions Mustapha Gbande’s authority to direct EOCO arrest of Manhyia South MP

Newly elected Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande’s admission that he directed the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah confirms concerns over selective justice under the current government. According to him, the admission raises serious questions about the independence of law enforcement agencies and the influence of political actors in their operations. Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, October 5, Mr Aboagye described Mr Gbande’s admission as “unfortunate”.

He questioned why the NDC Deputy General Secretary, who also serves as Deputy Director of Operations at the Office of the President, would have the authority to direct EOCO to arrest a citizen. “If we have a situation where it takes Mustapha Gbande to direct the EOCO who to arrest in this country, it now explains why for a very long time people have been complaining about selective justice,” Mr Aboagye said. He argued that Mr Gbande is not a security official and therefore does not have a professional mandate to direct EOCO operations.

“The Deputy Director of Operations at the Office of the President is not a security official. He’s not part of the security architecture,” he said. Mr Aboagye further accused the government of selectively applying the law against opposition figures while allowing others who commit similar offences to go free.

“Any law that you selectively apply is illegal,” he said. He insisted that law enforcement agencies must operate independently and apply the law equally, regardless of a person’s political affiliation. His comments follow an admission by NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande that he instructed the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to arrest Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Monday, October 5, Mr Aboagye questioned the basis for Mr Gbande’s directive, arguing that his position as a political party official does not give him the authority to direct EOCO on who to arrest. “It’s unfortunate… I saw his clip from the AM show and I was just shaking my head. And I’m sure a lot of people are watching, both locally and in the international community.

People are asking themselves, what kind of democracy is Ghana running?” he asked. Mr Aboagye said the admission raises concerns about the independence of law enforcement agencies and reinforces claims of selective justice under the current administration. “If we have a situation where it takes Mustapha Gbande to direct the EOCO on whom to arrest in this country, it now explains why for a very long time people have been complaining about selective justice,” he said.