The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has urged the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng to pursue the matter involving a memo purported to have been issued by the Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei.
This is contained in a press release issued on September 5.
“The Rt. Hon. Speaker welcomes any lawful investigation directed at establishing the facts and urges the Office of the Special Prosecutor to pursue the matter thoroughly and expeditiously, including establishing the authenticity or otherwise of the memorandum and the veracity of the claims contained in it.
Parliament stands ready to extend the necessary cooperation to the Office of the Special Prosecutor and any other competent investigative authority in the lawful discharge of its mandate,” the statement indicated.
PLEASE READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
Parliament has taken note of a memorandum currently circulating on social media, purportedly authored by the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei on the subject of the alleged return of GH¢70,000.00.
The document and the reports arising from it have understandably generated considerable public interest. Parliament is equally aware of subsequent reports in which the authenticity of the memorandum, as well as the circumstances alleged in it, have been categorically denied.
Parliament views the matter with serious concern. Any allegation touching on payments allegedly connected with the work of a Committee of Parliament, particularly the Appointments Committee, is a matter deserving of proper scrutiny.
Of equal, if not greater, concern is the possibility that a document may have been fabricated and falsely attributed to a Member of Parliament in circumstances capable of undermining public confidence in Parliament and its processes.
Parliament wishes to state that it has not independently verified the authenticity of the memorandum and will therefore not, at this stage, make any determination as to the truth or otherwise of the competing claims.
Parliament has, however, taken note of reports that the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has commenced investigations into the matter.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker welcomes any lawful investigation directed at establishing the facts and urges the Office of the Special Prosecutor to pursue the matter thoroughly and expeditiously, including establishing the authenticity or otherwise of the memorandum and the veracity of the claims contained in it.
Parliament stands ready to extend the necessary cooperation to the Office of the Special Prosecutor and any other competent investigative authority in the lawful discharge of its mandate.
Should the investigations establish that the memorandum is fabricated or was falsely attributed to the Deputy Minority Leader, the Rt. Hon. Speaker considers it imperative that the matter does not end with that finding.
The appropriate investigative authorities should, in that event, enlist the assistance of the Cyber Security Authority and other relevant law enforcement agencies to identify the person or persons responsible for the creation and circulation of the false document and, where the evidence warrants, bring them to account in accordance with law.
The fabrication and deliberate circulation of documents purporting to emanate from Members or offices of Parliament would constitute a serious assault on the integrity and reputation of the institution. Such conduct, if established, should therefore attract the full attention of the appropriate authorities.
In the meantime, Parliament urges the public, the media and all stakeholders to exercise caution in sharing the document or drawing definitive conclusions from it until its authenticity and the surrounding circumstances have been properly established.
Parliament reaffirms its commitment to transparency, accountability and the integrity of its processes, including the work of the Appointments Committee. The Rt. Hon. Speaker is determined that the facts of this matter be established and that the appropriate consequences should follow in accordance with law.
