Accra, Ghana//-The Office of the Attorney-General has filed three criminal charges against Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah over alleged financial misconduct in his handling of a legal case involving SIC Life Savings & Loans Company Limited.
The charges, filed at the High Court’s Specialised Jurisdiction Division in Accra on October 3, 2026, include conspiracy to commit a crime, intentionally causing financial loss to a public body and money laundering.
According to the charge sheet, the State alleges that Mr Awuah, while acting as a lawyer for SIC Life, conspired with the company’s then Managing Director in 2024 to intentionally dissipate GH¢9.85 million belonging to the company.
The second count alleges that he intentionally caused SIC Life to suffer a financial loss of GH¢9.85 million in the course of a business transaction.
The third count alleges that Mr Awuah transferred GH¢1 million to the then Managing Director of SIC Life, knowing that the money had been acquired through crime and with the purpose of assisting the recipient to evade the legal consequences of an offence.
How the case arose
The facts accompanying the charge sheet state that Mr Awuah is the Senior Partner of Sarkodie Baffour Awuah & Partners, which was engaged by SIC Life in May 2020 to recover a debt of GH¢6.3 million from Equity Savings and Loans Limited.
Under the terms of engagement, SIC Life was to pay the law firm 15% of the principal sum claimed as professional fees, together with 1% for expenses.
In July 2022, the High Court’s Commercial Division entered summary judgment in favour of SIC Life against Equity in the sum of GH¢10.86 million.
A 31.93-acre parcel of land belonging to Equity at Adamorobe, Oyibi, was subsequently attached in December 2023 in execution of the judgment.
The facts state that a revised judgment dated May 28, 2024, increased the judgment debt to GH¢14.85 million, including interest and costs. The land had a reserve price of GH¢25 million.
The State alleges that while the property was under attachment, Equity purportedly sold it to Eco Swiss Investment Limited on March 14, 2024, for GH¢21.76 million.
Investigators, according to the charge sheet, found that Eco Swiss had not been incorporated at the time it purportedly acquired the property.
The State further alleges that Mr Awuah was instrumental in arranging the transaction.
The settlement
By July 2024, Eco Swiss had paid only GH¢5 million of the purchase price and had filed a notice challenging the attachment, causing the auction to stall.
On July 18, 2024, SIC Life, Equity and Eco Swiss entered into Terms of Settlement under which SIC Life agreed to accept GH¢5 million from Eco Swiss in full and final settlement of the revised GH¢14.85 million judgment debt.
According to the prosecution’s case, the settlement terms also provided for the payment of 15% of the original judgment debt to Mr Awuah and his law firm as legal fees, amounting to GH¢2.2 million.
Eco Swiss was also required to pay GH¢1 million in auctioneer’s fees.
The State alleges that the Managing Director of SIC Life signed the settlement terms in conspiracy with Mr Awuah and that investigators found no record of prior approval for the arrangement.
Alleged GH¢1m transfer
The charge sheet further states that after receiving the purported legal fees, Mr Awuah issued a cheque for GH¢1 million to the then Managing Director of SIC Life on November 11, 2024.
The prosecution alleges that the amount represented almost half of the purported legal fee paid to the lawyer.
According to the facts, Mr Awuah has not told investigators the purpose of the GH¢1 million transfer.
MP’s detention
Mr Awuah voluntarily surrendered to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) on October 1, 2026, following a High Court warrant issued on September 30.
He spent the night in custody and was expected to be arraigned before a weekend court.
The charge sheet was subsequently filed on October 3, with the MP expected to appear before the High Court’s Specialised Jurisdiction Division.
Parliament has expressed concern over his continued detention, with Speaker Alban Bagbin calling for restraint and fairness in the exercise of coercive powers.
What next?
Mr Awuah is expected to be arraigned before the High Court’s Specialised Jurisdiction Division in Accra, where the court will also consider any application for bail.
The allegations contained in the charge sheet are yet to be proven in court. Mr Awuah is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Myjoyonline
