Afenyo-Markin to face NPP Caucus over extortion allegations

Source: Joy News

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin is expected to face questions from members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Caucus this morning over extortion allegations levelled against him by Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.

Sources from Joy News indicate that some senior members of the NPP Caucus consider the allegations serious and want the Minority Leader to provide further clarification on the matter.

The allegations were made at the seat of the Presidency, where Mr Gyamfi addressed journalists in response to claims by the Minority, led by Mr Afenyo-Markin, regarding reported losses linked to the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP).

Mr Gyamfi later repeated the allegations during an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile, challenging Mr Afenyo-Markin to seek legal redress if he considered the claims defamatory.

Mr Afenyo-Markin has strongly denied the allegations and indicated that he is considering his legal options.

However, his response has reportedly not completely addressed concerns among some senior NPP MPs, who believe the Minority Leader should explain the circumstances surrounding the allegations to his colleagues.

The concerns have reportedly prompted the NPP Parliamentary Caucus to schedule a meeting this morning, ahead of Parliament’s sitting later in the afternoon.

The meeting is expected to give Mr Afenyo-Markin the opportunity to respond to questions from members of the Caucus and provide further details on the matter.

Parliament has been recalled from recess to consider urgent legislative business.

The development comes amid an increasingly heated dispute between Mr Afenyo-Markin and Mr Gyamfi over the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and GoldBod’s role in the transactions.

The personal allegations have added a new dimension to the dispute, with concerns that the exchanges could shift attention away from the substantive questions being raised by the Minority about the programme and the management of public funds.