A leading law firm has accused state investigators of intimidation and abuse of process after two of its lawyers were arrested and detained in connection with the ongoing PDS-ECG matter.

In a statement on May 8, Minkah-Premo, Osei-Bonsu, Bruce-Cathline and Partners said media reports had wrongly portrayed the firm and its lawyers as having engaged in wrongdoing.

“Our attention has been drawn to reports, including a social media update by the President’s Spokesman, Mr Felix Ofosu Kwakye, indicating that a PDS ‘quartet’ had been arrested and granted bail in respect of money ‘believed’ to belong to ECG.”

The firm said the social media post identified “Justice Menka-Premoh” and “Sophia Korkor,” which it described as misspelt references to lawyers practising within the firm.

It also cited a subsequent interview in which it said a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s office alleged that four people, including its lawyers, had been arrested over the transfer of GHS850 million from an ECG account.

“The social media post and interview have unfortunately formed the basis of several media stories that inaccurately portray our firm and its lawyers as having engaged in illicit activities.

"These representations are misleading and damaging to the professional reputation of our firm and the individual lawyers who were arrested and detained.”

The firm said that Senior Partner Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo and Junior Partner Sophia Kokor visited the offices of the Bureau of National Investigations at Kawukudi on April 30, 2026, to provide legal representation to two clients in relation to a PDS-ECG investigation.

According to the statement, officials of the BNI and the Economic and Organised Crime Office refused to allow the lawyers to represent their clients and instead declared them “persons of interest.”

“This escalated into the restriction of the movement of Mr Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo and Ms Sophia Kokor.”

The firm said both lawyers were interrogated and arrested on what it described as vague and unsubstantiated allegations of “Dishonestly Receiving” and “Abetment of Money Laundering.”

“They were detained until the evening of the following day, Friday, May 1, 2026 and then granted bail in the excessive sum of GH¢50 million each.”

“This is not a standard criminal investigation; it is a direct assault on the right to legal counsel and the professional immunity of lawyers.”

The firm said all four individuals whose arrests were reported had participated in arbitration proceedings that began in 2021 between PDS, ECG and the Government of Ghana at the London Court of International Arbitration.

It said the arbitration was concluded and an award delivered in November 2025.

“PDS owed no money to ECG beyond the costs which were awarded, and which have long since been settled.”

It further rejected claims that the four were arrested over the transfer of GH¢850 million from an ECG account.

“The assertion made by the spokesperson of the Attorney-General that the four people (including our lawyers) were arrested and granted bail for their involvement in transferring GH¢850 million out of a Calbank Account belonging to ECG as a result of an ‘Interim Protocol’ does not appear on any Investigation Caution Statement and therefore cannot be accurate.”

The firm said the arrests amount to “a calculated attempt to intimidate and harass our lawyers and the firm.”

“When lawyers are arrested for discharging their professional obligations and are then denied the right to represent their clients, the integrity of the entire justice system is compromised.”