The Minority in Parliament has dismissed as fake a letter circulating on social media purportedly showing that Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, returned GH¢70,000 allegedly linked to the vetting of ministers and Supreme Court nominees.
Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, said Mrs Appiagyei had denied knowledge of the document and could not confirm its source or authorship.
“She has confirmed that she has no idea where the letter emanated from or who authored it,” Mr Ahmed told Citi News.
The development comes amid heightened public scrutiny of alleged financial allocations to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee in connection with the vetting of presidential nominees.
The purported letter claimed that Mrs Appiagyei had returned GH¢70,000 because she was uncertain about the source of the money and did not want to personally benefit from the vetting of government officials and Supreme Court nominees.
It also purportedly linked the alleged refund to the Minority’s decision not to participate in the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, citing concerns about the process.
Mr Ahmed, however, said the Minority had conducted checks into the matter and maintained that the document did not originate from Mrs Appiagyei.
He added that checks had also been made on the Majority side of Parliament, with officials indicating that no such letter or payment had originated from them.
The denial has consequently shifted attention to the origin and authenticity of the document, particularly as the alleged payment has generated debate over whether MPs should receive money in relation to their work on the Appointments Committee.
The controversy comes against the backdrop of the Minority’s earlier decision to boycott the vetting of three Supreme Court nominees, a move that has intensified political and public debate over the conduct of the committee.
Mr Ahmed urged caution in treating the circulating document as genuine, stressing that questions remain about who authored it and where it originated.
The Minority’s position effectively distances Mrs Appiagyei from the purported correspondence and challenges the basis for claims that she returned GH¢70,000 connected to parliamentary vetting activities.
