Adoa News Adoa News
Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says he will pursue legal action over statements he considers false and defamatory, following his ongoing public dispute with Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.
The Effutu MP’s decision follows comments by Mr Gyamfi, who described him as an “extortionist” and challenged him to seek legal redress if he believed the remark was defamatory.
The GoldBod CEO has maintained that his description of the Minority Leader was based on the circumstances surrounding their exchanges over the Minority’s scrutiny of GoldBod and its operations.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, August 22, 2026, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he had decided to use the appropriate legal channels to address the statements made against him.
“On the defamatory statements made against me personally, I intend to pursue the appropriate legal remedies,” he said.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also rejected claims that his examination of the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) and GoldBod was driven by improper motives.
He said his actions were consistent with his constitutional mandate as Minority Leader to assist Parliament in exercising its oversight responsibilities.
“As Minority Leader in Parliament, my responsibility is to help Parliament discharge its constitutional oversight function. My actions have been guided solely by that responsibility,” he stated.
The Minority Leader further insisted that he had not acted improperly in carrying out his parliamentary duties.
He said individuals and institutions subjected to legitimate scrutiny could sometimes respond with personal attacks and allegations in an attempt to shift public attention away from the issues under examination.
“I recognise that, in public life, those who are uncomfortable with legitimate scrutiny may push back,” he said.
“In some cases, they may resort to false allegations, personal attacks and ridicule in an effort to shift attention from the substantive issues and make the person asking the questions the subject of controversy.”
Despite the dispute, Mr Afenyo-Markin said neither the allegations nor the personal attacks would distract him from his examination of the gold trading programme.
He said the Minority Caucus would remain focused on the decisions taken under the programme and their implications for public finances.
“Meanwhile, my attention, and that of the Caucus I lead, remains firmly focused on the programme, the decisions taken and the public funds involved,” he said.