The controversy surrounding an alleged GH¢70,000 payment linked to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee has revived memories of one of Ghana’s most controversial parliamentary bribery scandals.
In 2017, nearly a decade after Samuel Okudzeto, Alhassan Suhuyini, and Mahama Ayariga alleged that some GH¢3,000 bribes were paid to them after the vetting of Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko to help facilitate his approval.
The Bawku Central MP, in a radio interview in 2017, alleged that Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak had given GH¢3,000 to each minority member on the Appointments Committee.
According to Mahama Ayariga, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak told him that it was Joseph Osei-Owusu who had given the money to him, with the explanation that it was from Agyarko.
He revealed that, together with his fellow Minority MPs, he returned the money because they had initially thought it was a sitting allowance.
However, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak denied the allegation, and a five-member committee was later instituted to investigate the matter.
Today, Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, decision to return GH¢70,000 bribe allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip has once again placed questions about money, political influence and parliamentary vetting, raising fresh questions about the influence of money in Ghana’s parliamentary approval process.
According to the Deputy Minority Leader, she cannot accept money whose source she does not know.
Patricia Appiagyei’s memo dated September 2, 2026, and addressed to Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh, with Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin copied, disclosed that she was returning the money primarily because she does not know the source of the money being given to her.
She further explained that she did not want to derive any financial benefit from a process involving the vetting of members of the governing side’s leadership.
The Deputy Minority Leader disclosed that she was uncomfortable receiving any financial benefit linked to the vetting of political colleagues appointed to leadership positions, specifically referring to the vetting of Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga and Environment Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings.
In a memorandum dated September 2, 2026, Patricia Appiagyei stated, “It is with regret that I return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) allocated to me as an advance of money from the Majority Chief Whip of Parliament of Ghana”.
“I am returning the money on the basis of the fact that, primarily, I do not know the source of the money being given to me,” the Deputy Minority Leader said.
“My first reason is the fact that I do not want to enjoy any financial benefit under any circumstances to vet our own colleagues in leadership from the other side, being either Hon. Mahama Ayariga or Hon. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings,” she wrote.
“Due to the Minority’s protest and non-participation in the vetting of the three Judges… on a matter of principle, I consider it totally unthinkable that I should enjoy any gift presented by any of the above judges,” she stated.
“It is also not my intention to extort any money from any of the above judges,” she added.
“In lieu of the above, and also in support of the Minority Leader’s decision to return his share of the amount sent to him in that respect, I humbly return the amount of seventy thousand cedis (GHS70,000.00) to be sent back to the Chief Whip of the Majority Caucus in Parliament, bringing to his attention my reasons for doing so,” she wrote.
She further concluded her memo by reaffirming her allegiance to the Minority Caucus, stating: “I remain committed to the position of our Caucus.”
For the Mahama government, the development threatens to reopen an old chapter of political controversy; however, this time around the tables have turned as they are the governing party facing questions similar to those once directed at the NPP government under Akufo-Addo.
@ghnow_ Hon Ewurabena Aubynn donates chicks to Ablekuma North Poulty Farmers #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – NDCMUSICHQ
@ghnow_ Shatta Wale departs to Kumasi for a show #GHNow #fyp ♬ Body Pains – SHATTA WALE
