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Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to expedite investigations into allegations that Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei received GH¢70,000 in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.
The alleged payment has become the subject of controversy following the circulation of a purported memorandum linked to Mrs Appiagyei and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
In a statement issued by Parliament on Saturday, September 5, Mr Bagbin said the allegations warranted a thorough investigation, given their connection to the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
“The Rt. Hon. Speaker welcomes any lawful investigation directed at establishing the facts and urges the Office of the Special Prosecutor to pursue the matter thoroughly and expeditiously,” Parliament stated.
According to the Speaker, the OSP’s investigation must determine whether the alleged GH¢70,000 payment was actually made and establish the authenticity of the memorandum at the centre of the controversy.
Parliament stressed that it had not independently authenticated the document and would therefore refrain from taking a position on the conflicting accounts.
“Parliament wishes to state that it has not independently verified the authenticity of the memorandum and will therefore not, at this stage, make any determination as to the truth or otherwise of the competing claims,” the statement said.
Mr Bagbin also wants further action if the investigation determines that the document was fabricated or falsely attributed to Mrs Appiagyei.
He said such a finding should trigger efforts to identify the individuals responsible for allegedly creating and circulating the document.
The Speaker called for the involvement of the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant law enforcement agencies to trace the source of any fabrication and pursue legal action where sufficient evidence exists.
The controversy emerged after a purported memorandum, allegedly authored by Mrs Appiagyei, was circulated publicly.
The document reportedly indicated that the Asokwa MP had returned GH¢70,000 allegedly paid to her as an advance in relation to the vetting exercise.
Mrs Appiagyei has, however, denied ever receiving or returning the money, insisting that the allegations are false and that the memorandum is fabricated.
The OSP has since begun preliminary investigations to establish the veracity of the allegations, determine the source of the claims and establish the circumstances surrounding the disputed document.
While the investigation is ongoing, Parliament has appealed to the public and media organisations to exercise restraint and avoid further circulation of the memorandum or drawing conclusions on the allegations before the facts are established.
Mr Bagbin reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to transparency, accountability and the integrity of its processes, particularly the work of the Appointments Committee.
He maintained that the controversy must be settled through evidence and in accordance with the law.