Transparency International Ghana has called on Parliament to fully disclose details of an alleged GH¢70,000 payment reportedly offered to the Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa Member of Parliament, Patricia Appiagyei, in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.
The call follows a purported memorandum circulating in the media, allegedly authored by Mrs Appiagyei and addressed to the Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
According to the document, Mrs Appiagyei returned GH¢70,000 allegedly given to her as an advance from the Majority Chief Whip in relation to the vetting of two ministerial nominees and three Supreme Court nominees.
However, Mrs Appiagyei has denied receiving or returning the alleged payment, describing the claims as fake and the circulating memorandum as fabricated.
In a statement dated Friday, September 4, TI-Ghana said the controversy required full disclosure and independent scrutiny to protect public confidence in Parliament.
It called on the Parliamentary Service to publish the source, purpose, authorising authority and budgetary basis for the alleged GH¢70,000 allocations.
“The Parliamentary Service must publish the source, purpose, authorising authority, and budgetary basis for the GH¢70,000 allocations. It must also clarify whether the funds were public, private, caucus- or nominee-related, or from any other source,” the statement said.
TI-Ghana also demanded a comprehensive account of the funds, including the total amount involved, the disbursement formula, the full list of intended recipients and confirmation of all payments made or returned.
It said the financial records should be independently audited to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged payments.
The organisation further called on Parliament to clarify whether such payments are permitted under the Standing Orders of Parliament, the Parliamentary Service Act, the Public Financial Management Act and applicable codes of conduct for Members of Parliament.
TI-Ghana also urged Parliament to develop and publish a clear and enforceable framework governing gifts, allowances, facilitation payments and other financial benefits associated with committee work and the vetting of nominees.
The framework, it said, should include mandatory disclosure thresholds, restrictions on third-party payments linked to oversight functions and sanctions for breaches.
TI-Ghana said allegations of financial inducements linked to the Appointments Committee could undermine public confidence in Parliament if they were not properly investigated and addressed.
It cited previous allegations involving the vetting process, including a 2023 claim by then-Cape Coast South MP George Kwaku Rickets-Hagan that some Minority MPs had accepted bribes to support President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees.
The organisation also referenced allegations made in January 2025 by activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor that members of the Appointments Committee were demanding money from nominees before their vetting. The committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, denied the allegation and summoned Mr Barker-Vormawor, who subsequently retracted the claim.
TI-Ghana said Mrs Appiagyei’s alleged refusal to accept the payment, as contained in the purported memorandum, was commendable, but stressed that the broader issue required institutional action.
“As the Right Honourable Speaker, Alban Bagbin, rightly acknowledged in January 2025, misconduct surrounding the Appointments Committee has contributed to historically low public trust in Parliament,” it said.
The organisation urged the Speaker to translate his commitment to restoring the dignity and credibility of Parliament into “verifiable action”.
“What Ghana needs now is not silence, partisan spin, or internal accommodation. It needs disclosure, independent scrutiny, and lasting reform,” TI-Ghana said.
It added that the credibility of future vetting exercises and the legitimacy of Parliament as the country’s premier accountability institution would depend on how the matter was handled
