Manhyia South MP and lawyer Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has accused Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) Executive Director Raymond Archer of having previously extorted money to suppress news stories during his time as a journalist.
The MP made the allegation after EOCO officers attempted to arrest him at the Accra High Court on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, over an ongoing investigation.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Baffour Awuah claimed he had evidence to support his allegation against Archer, who worked as a journalist during former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration.
“Even you people that extorted monies during President Kufuor’s time, we remember. Today, you, Raymond Archer, you are at EOCO. I remember the extortion you did during President Kufuor’s era to kill a stories. For me, I am not afraid of anything and those are facts. At the time, Alhaji Bamba was at the Office of the President and those are facts,” he said.
The allegations have not been independently established, and Archer has not been quoted in the provided account as responding to the claims.
The dispute comes amid an ongoing confrontation between the MP and EOCO.
According to EOCO, the NPP lawmaker had been invited on two occasions in February 2026 to assist with an investigation but failed to honour the invitations.
The agency subsequently attempted to arrest him at the High Court on September 23.
The operation was aborted after the situation escalated, with EOCO later saying its officers withdrew to avoid putting public safety at risk.
The attempted arrest has since generated debate over the procedure used by the agency in dealing with a sitting Member of Parliament.
Critics have questioned whether EOCO should have engaged Parliament and the Speaker before attempting to arrest the lawmaker, given the constitutional provisions relating to parliamentary privileges and immunities.
EOCO, however, has maintained that parliamentary membership does not place an individual above the law or bring an ongoing criminal investigation to an end.
The agency has also indicated that investigations into the matter remain active and that it is reviewing video footage from the attempted arrest as it considers its next steps.
