Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah has rejected an allegation that a GH¢1 million cheque he issued was intended to bribe a former SIC Life executive.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, as monitored by The Observer Times, Baffour Awuah questioned why he would issue a cheque that could be acknowledged and traced if he intended to improperly influence someone.

“As a lawyer of considerable standing like me, if I want to bribe someone, will I write a cheque for the person to sign in acknowledgement of the cheque?”

The comment follows a charge by the Attorney-General alleging that Baffour Awuah issued a GH¢1 million cheque to the then Managing Director of SIC Life after receiving GH¢2.2 million in legal fees. The prosecution alleges the payment was intended to help the former executive evade the legal consequences of a crime.

Baffour Awuah, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, said the allegations would ultimately be tested through the judicial process.

He further cautioned against equating the filing of criminal charges with a finding of guilt, stressing that the presumption of innocence remains fundamental to criminal proceedings. “The fact that one has been charged doesn't make the person guilty,” he said.

The MP also criticised what he described as an increasingly troubling culture of hostility among Ghanaians, warning that the country would make little progress if such divisions continued. “If that cycle is not broken, we are going nowhere as a country,” he said.

Turning to the case involving Salomey Awity Baffoe, whom he represents, Mr Baffour Awuah questioned whether her prolonged detention was justified, following her subsequent admission to bail and the adjournment of the substantive case to February 2027. He also claimed that she was not interrogated while in custody.

“The fact that she has been given bail and the substantive case adjourned to February 2027 leaves a million questions as to whether or not indeed the case is of serious interest to the state and as to whether keeping her in custody for close to a month was worth it.”

Reflecting on his own detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Mr Baffour Awuah said securing Salomey Awity Baffoe's freedom remained one of his foremost concerns. “My utmost priority was to see Salomey Awity Baffoe gain her freedom so she could reunite with her family even at the peril of my life,” he said, reaffirming his commitment to due process, justice and judicial independence.

Mr Baffour Awuah also expressed appreciation to NPP flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for visiting his mother while he was in EOCO custody, as well as the Minority Caucus leadership, fellow MP's and others who offered him support and prayers.

Mr Baffour Awuah was granted GH¢10 million bail with two sureties by the High Court on October 3 after pleading not guilty to the charges. The court also directed him to make himself available to investigators as the case proceeds.