Parliament has welcomed the decision by the Office of the Special Prosecutor to investigate allegations surrounding an alleged GH¢70,000 payment linked to the work of the Appointments Committee, saying a thorough inquiry is necessary to establish the facts and protect the integrity of the legislative process.
The Parliamentary Service said Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin supports any lawful investigation capable of determining the circumstances surrounding a memorandum that has circulated widely on social media and was purportedly authored by the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei. The document reportedly concerns the alleged return of GH¢70,000 said to have been connected to the work of the Appointments Committee.
The controversy has intensified because conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the authenticity of the memorandum. Mrs Appiagyei has categorically denied authoring the document and has rejected claims that she received or returned any money in connection with the parliamentary vetting exercise. She has described the memorandum as fabricated and said she would cooperate with the OSP should the anti corruption agency formally invite her.
Parliament, however, has refrained from making a definitive determination on the authenticity of the document. In a statement signed by the Director of Media Relations, David Sebastian Damoah, the Parliamentary Service said it had not independently verified the memorandum and therefore would not pronounce judgment on the competing claims until the relevant facts had been properly established.
Nevertheless, Parliament said allegations involving payments allegedly associated with the activities of a parliamentary committee, particularly the Appointments Committee, are sufficiently serious to warrant careful examination. The OSP has already commenced preliminary investigations into the matter, citing the constitutional significance of the Appointments Committee and the need to protect the credibility of the vetting process.
The Parliamentary Service has also raised concern over the possibility that the disputed memorandum could have been deliberately fabricated and falsely attributed to an elected Member of Parliament. It warned that such conduct could damage the reputation of Parliament, weaken public confidence in its procedures and create unwarranted suspicion around the work of the institution.
Against that backdrop, the Speaker has urged the OSP to pursue its investigation thoroughly and expeditiously. The inquiry is expected not only to determine whether the memorandum is genuine but also to establish whether the allegations contained in it have any factual basis.
Parliament has consequently pledged to extend the necessary cooperation to the OSP and any other competent investigative authority involved in the lawful examination of the matter.
The Parliamentary Service further stated that if the investigation establishes that the memorandum was fabricated or falsely attributed to Mrs Appiagyei, the matter should not conclude merely with a declaration that the document was fraudulent. It said the appropriate authorities should work with the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant law enforcement agencies to identify the individuals responsible for creating and circulating the document.
Where sufficient evidence is established, Parliament said those responsible should face the appropriate consequences under Ghanaian law.
The Speaker regards the deliberate manufacture and circulation of documents falsely presented as originating from Members of Parliament or parliamentary offices as a serious threat to the credibility and reputation of the legislature. Such conduct, Parliament maintained, has the potential to mislead the public, undermine confidence in parliamentary proceedings and unfairly damage the standing of individual lawmakers.
The controversy comes as the OSP examines allegations that GH¢70,000 was allegedly allocated in connection with the vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees by the Appointments Committee. The purported memorandum claimed that Mrs Appiagyei returned the money, but she has denied receiving or discussing any such payment.
The OSP has said its preliminary inquiry is intended to establish the veracity of the allegations and determine the source and circumstances surrounding the disputed document. The investigation has subsequently attracted calls for transparency, with University of Ghana political scientist Dr Joshua Ebuntie Zaato urging the OSP to make its findings public once the inquiry has been completed.
Parliament has meanwhile appealed to members of the public, media organisations and other stakeholders to exercise restraint in circulating the disputed memorandum or drawing conclusive judgments from its contents until the authenticity of the document and the circumstances surrounding its emergence have been established.
The Parliamentary Service said the Speaker remains committed to ensuring that the facts are fully established and that any individual found to have acted unlawfully is held accountable in accordance with the law.
