Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo, has supported the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) decision to investigate allegations that Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP, Patricia Appiagyei, was offered GH¢70,000 in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.

Mr Domelevo believes the allegations warrant an independent investigation, particularly as claims of payments to Members of Parliament in relation to vetting exercises have surfaced on previous occasions.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue, he said Mrs Appiagyei’s denial of the allegation should not bring the matter to an end.

According to him, the OSP must establish whether the document circulating in connection with the alleged payment is genuine and whether the claims contained in it have any basis.

“…But it needs to be investigated, and we’ll be sure that somebody is just being mischievous or it actually happened.”

Mr Domelevo further urged the OSP to subject the disputed document to forensic examination to determine whether it was authored by the Asokwa MP and whether the signature attributed to her is authentic.

He said such an examination would help establish whether Mrs Appiagyei actually signed the document or whether her signature had been forged.

The former Auditor-General also raised concerns about the source of any alleged payment to MPs who participate in vetting exercises.

He questioned the appropriateness of the Presidency making such payments after MPs had completed their vetting duties, arguing that this could create public financial management concerns if the expenditure was not captured in the appropriate budget.

Mr Domelevo maintained that if MPs are entitled to sitting allowances for such duties, Parliament should make provision for the payments through its own budget rather than having another government institution bear the cost.

He said the OSP’s investigation was therefore necessary to settle the matter and determine the authenticity of the allegations.

Appiagyei denies allegation

Patricia Appiagyei has, however, rejected the claims, insisting that she neither received nor discussed any money in connection with the ministerial vetting process.

The Asokwa MP has described the memo alleging that GH¢70,000 was paid or offered to her as fake news.

The OSP’s investigation is expected to establish the authenticity of the document and clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged payment.