OSP Investigates GH¢70,000 Payment Allegedly Linked to Patricia Appiagyei After Recent Vetting

• The Office of the Special Prosecutor has launched a preliminary investigation into a GH¢70,000 payment allegedly connected to parliamentary vetting
• A purported memorandum attributed to Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei sparked the probe
• The Second Deputy Minority Whip has dismissed the circulating letter as fake, saying Appiagyei herself does not know who authored it

Ghana's Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has opened a preliminary investigation into an alleged GH¢70,000 payment purportedly connected to the parliamentary vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees, with Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei invited to assist with enquiries.

The investigation was triggered by a memorandum circulating in the media, allegedly written by Appiagyei and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh.

The document claims she returned GH¢70,000 that was purportedly passed to her as an advance through the Minority Chief Whip from the Majority Chief Whip, in relation to the vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees.

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The OSP said the document's contents suggested Appiagyei had herself raised doubts about the origin of the funds and whether they amounted to extortion of the nominees under consideration.

"Given the constitutional importance of the Appointments Committee of Parliament and the need to safeguard the integrity of the vetting process, and taking into consideration the content of the document to the effect that Hon. Patricia Appiagyei purportedly cast doubt on the source of the alleged funds and that it had the hallmarks of extortion of the nominees, the OSP has commenced preliminary investigation into the veracity of the document, the source of the alleged funds, and the purpose of the alleged funds," the office said in a statement.

The OSP confirmed it had formally invited Mrs Appiagyei to appear before the office and assist with its enquiries. It also stated that it "is actively investigating all extortion allegations involving Members of Parliament."

Minority Disputes Authenticity of Circulating Document

YEN.com.gh reported that the Second Deputy Minority Whip Jerry Ahmed Shaib pushed back against the claims, telling Citi News the letter in circulation was fabricated.

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He said Mrs Appiagyei had confirmed she had no knowledge of who produced or distributed the document.

The OSP's investigation is expected to determine whether the memorandum is genuine, identify the source of the alleged funds and clarify the circumstances under which the money was allegedly transferred in connection with the vetting process.

Source: YEN.com.gh