The United Party (UP) is demanding a full-scale investigation into the alleged extortion claims levelled against Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, insisting that the truth must be established to protect Parliament’s integrity.
In a joint petition signed by Solomon Owusu, Director of Communications and Spokesperson, and Andrew Appiah-Danquah, Director of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the party petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Attorney-General, CHRAJ Commissioner, the CID, the Speaker of Parliament and the Inspector General of Police to act on the matter.
The petition centres on claims made by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Sammy Gyamfi and NEIP CEO, Eric Adjei, that Afenyo-Markin attempted to extort $1 million from Sammy Gyamfi.
The petition quotes Mr Adjei as alleging that the Minority Leader “was engaged in extortionist conduct and had established or was associated with a team that employed requests made under the Right to Information Act to obtain information from public institutions, after which persons connected with that enterprise allegedly assumed the role of ‘negotiators.'”
According to the petitioners, the cumulative effect of the statements by Gyamfi and Adjei “is the allegation that the monetary demand was connected with actual or threatened reputational attacks, adverse publicity, political pressure, threatened official or parliamentary action, or an offer to discontinue or moderate such conduct in consideration of the payment demanded.”
The United Party argues that the matter cannot be left to social media banter and must be subjected to an evidence-led probe.
In their petition, they noted: “If, on the other hand, the allegations are false or incapable of substantiation, they constitute an equally serious assault upon the reputation of the Minority Leader and upon the integrity of Parliament as an institution.”
“The public interest therefore demands neither a presumption of guilt nor a conspiracy of silence. It requires a prompt, impartial and evidence-led investigation capable of establishing the truth,” the petition added.
They are therefore praying the institutions to secure and preserve all relevant electronic, documentary, audiovisual and financial evidence, determine whether any public office, parliamentary position or institutional authority was employed as leverage, and determine whether the conduct amounts to attempted extortion, corruption or abuse of public office.
As part of their reliefs, they want the appropriate criminal, disciplinary, parliamentary or civil recovery proceedings to be instituted, if the allegations are substantiated, but “communicate an appropriate conclusion if the allegations turn to be otherwise.
“The petitioners say they also want the institutions to “take such further lawful action as may be necessary to vindicate constitutional accountability, deter the abuse of public power and preserve public confidence in Ghana’s democratic institutions.”
