Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has endorsed the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s (OSP) decision to investigate allegations surrounding a purported GH¢70,000 payment allegedly offered to Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.
Mr Domelevo said the allegations, which have surfaced on several occasions, require an independent investigation to establish the authenticity of the purported document and determine whether the alleged payment actually occurred.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, September 5, he said Mrs Appiagyei’s denial should not bring the matter to an end, particularly because similar allegations of payments involving Members of Parliament had been raised in the past.
He noted that earlier discussions and investigations into claims of financial inducements to MPs had not completely settled the matter, making it important for the OSP to establish the facts surrounding the latest allegation.
Mr Domelevo urged the OSP to subject the document at the centre of the controversy to scrutiny, particularly the signature attributed to Mrs Appiagyei, to determine whether it is genuine.
“…But it needs to be investigated, and we’ll be sure that somebody is just being mischievous or it actually happened.”
He also questioned the appropriateness of the Presidency allegedly providing payments to MPs after they had participated in parliamentary vetting exercises.
According to Mr Domelevo, such payments could raise public financial management concerns if they were not captured under the appropriate budgetary provisions.
He argued that any sitting allowances due to MPs should be paid through Parliament’s own budget rather than being sourced from the budget of another government institution.
Mr Domelevo further called for a forensic examination of the purported memorandum to establish whether Mrs Appiagyei authored it or whether her signature had been forged.
He urged the OSP to complete its investigation and provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the alleged payment.
Meanwhile, Mrs Appiagyei has denied receiving or discussing any money in connection with the ministerial vetting process and has described the purported memo alleging that she received GH¢70,000 as fake news.
