The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced a preliminary investigation into an alleged GH¢70,000 payment reportedly linked to the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees by Parliament’s Appointments Committee.
The investigation follows a purported memorandum circulating in the media and attributed to the Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, addressed to Minority Chief Whip and Nsawam/Adoagyiri MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
According to the document, the GH¢70,000 was allegedly allocated to Mrs Appiagyei as an advance from the Majority Chief Whip in connection with the vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees.
The purported memorandum claimed that Mrs Appiagyei had returned the money because she was uncertain about its source and did not want to receive a financial benefit connected to the vetting exercise.
However, the authenticity of the memorandum remains disputed.
The OSP said its preliminary investigation will establish whether the document is genuine, determine the source of the alleged funds and establish their intended purpose.
The Office said the contents of the document raised concerns because they purportedly suggested that the alleged payment could bear the hallmarks of extortion of nominees, particularly given the constitutional importance of the Appointments Committee and the need to protect the integrity of its vetting process.
As part of the inquiry, the OSP has invited Mrs Appiagyei to appear before the Office and assist with the investigation.
The Special Prosecutor also disclosed that it is actively investigating all extortion allegations involving Members of Parliament.
The Minority Caucus has rejected the claims contained in the purported memorandum.
Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, described the document as fake and said Mrs Appiagyei had confirmed that she had no knowledge of its origin or authorship.
Mr Shaib also said checks with the Majority side of Parliament indicated that neither the alleged letter nor the reported payment originated from them.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the Minority’s decision to boycott the August 27 vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, citing concerns over what it described as an excessively compressed timetable for the exercise.
The three nominees were Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah, Justice Edward Amoako Asante and Justice Anthony Forson Jnr.
The OSP’s investigation will therefore seek to establish the facts surrounding both the disputed memorandum and the alleged GH¢70,000 payment, including whether any such payment was made and, if so, who authorised it and for what purpose.
The outcome could have wider implications for scrutiny of the financial arrangements and conduct surrounding Parliament’s Appointments Committee.