Appiagyei’s denial not enough; OSP must probe alleged GH¢70K payment – Domelevo

By: Hubeyidatu Mumuni 

Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to thoroughly investigate allegations that Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, was offered GH¢70,000 in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.

Mr Domelevo said Mrs Appiagyei’s denial of the alleged payment should not bring the matter to an end, arguing that an independent investigation is necessary to establish the authenticity of the claims and the document at the centre of the controversy.

Speaking on the Big Issue on Saturday, September 5, he said the allegations deserved scrutiny, particularly because similar claims involving alleged payments to Members of Parliament had surfaced in the past.

According to him, previous discussions and investigations into alleged payments to MPs had not completely settled the matter, making it important for the OSP to establish the facts.

“But it needs to be investigated, and we’ll be sure that somebody is just being mischievous or it actually happened,” he said.

Mr Domelevo further urged the OSP to subject the document allegedly authorising the payment to forensic examination to determine whether the signature attributed to Mrs Appiagyei is genuine or forged.

He said such an examination would help establish whether the MP authored the document or whether it was fabricated by individuals seeking to create a false impression.

The former Auditor-General also raised concerns about the appropriateness of the Presidency allegedly making payments to MPs after they had participated in vetting exercises.

He argued that such payments could raise public financial management concerns if they were not properly provided for in the relevant budget.

Mr Domelevo maintained that Parliament should be responsible for paying sitting allowances to its members through its own budget rather than having such payments allegedly come from another budget entity.

He therefore urged the OSP to complete its investigation and provide clarity on the controversy, saying the process should establish whether the document is genuine and whether any payment was actually offered.

Meanwhile, Patricia Appiagyei has denied receiving or discussing any money in connection with the ministerial vetting process.

She has described the memo alleging a GH¢70,000 payment to her as “fake news” and maintained that she has no knowledge of the alleged transaction.