The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has asked Asokwa MP and Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei to help with an initial probe into a reported GH¢70,000 payment tied to the parliamentary vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.
The OSP has sent a formal invitation for Mrs Appiagyei to appear at its offices while it examines the genuineness and background of a document that has been circulating in the media.
The alleged memo, said to have been written by Mrs Appiagyei and directed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, states that she repaid GH¢70,000 that was supposedly advanced to her by the Majority Chief Whip via the Minority Chief Whip.
The funds were reportedly linked to the Appointments Committee’s vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees.
In a public statement released on Friday, 4 September, the OSP explained that it opened the preliminary inquiry after becoming aware of the document and its contents. The document appears to indicate that Mrs Appiagyei questioned the origin of the money and whether the payment showed signs of extortion involving the nominees.
The OSP is looking into whether the document is authentic, where the alleged funds came from, and what the money was intended for.
“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.
To this effect, the OSP has dispatched a communication inviting Hon. Patricia Appiagyei to attend the OSP and assist it with the preliminary investigation. The OSP is actively investigating all extortion allegations involving Members of Parliament,” the statement read.
Separately, Second Deputy Minority Whip Jerry Ahmed Shaib has rejected the suggestion that Mrs Appiagyei returned GH¢70,000 in relation to the vetting. In comments to Citi News, he called the circulating memorandum a forgery and said Mrs Appiagyei had stated she neither knew where the document came from nor who wrote it.
The OSP’s inquiry is expected to determine whether the purported memo is genuine and to shed light on the circumstances of the alleged GH¢70,000 payment.
