Parliament has urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor to launch a thorough and expeditious investigation into a circulating memorandum regarding an alleged return of GH¢70,000.00 attributed to the Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei.
The document, which has been widely shared across social media platforms, purports to originate from the Member of Parliament for Asokwa, but subsequent reports indicate that its authenticity and the claims contained within it have been categorically denied.
In an official statement issued by the Parliamentary Service and signed by the Director of Media Relations, David Sebastian Damoah, the legislature expressed grave concern over the potential impact of such fabrications on the credibility of its committees, particularly the Appointments Committee.
“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,” the statement noted.
The statement further highlighted the danger posed by the creation of deceptive documents aimed at misleading the public and damaging the reputation of lawmakers.
“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,” it stated.
While Parliament clarified that it has not independently verified the authenticity of the memorandum and will refrain from making a final determination at this stage, it confirmed that the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, welcomes any lawful probe 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,” the release added.
Parliament also called for further action should the document be proven false, asking investigative authorities to enlist the support of the Cyber Security Authority and law enforcement agencies to track down and prosecute those responsible for generating and circulating the fake memorandum.
Media houses, the public, and stakeholders have been advised to exercise caution and avoid drawing definitive conclusions or spreading the document until official investigations conclude.
