Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, has returned GH¢70,000 bribe allocated to her in connection with the work of Parliament’s Appointments Committee from the Majority Chief Whip.
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.”
Some netizens reacting to the development stated, “From the halls and corridors of the very law that should govern us. The stench of corruption smells so strong. All hope in this country we call our motherland is lost”.
A netizen added, “The country is rotten from the top. All the 3 arms of govt are corrupt. Even the Public Accounts Committee that sits on audit findings take money from every institution summoned to appear before them”.
One X user added, “Something similar happened under the previous administration. Ayariga made a similar allegation, everyone denied it, and the matter eventually died. This one will likely follow the same path”.
“That institution eh, no wonder the quality of work coming out of that institution is nothing to write home about. The day things will be right in that house, the citizenry will live comfortably. Shameless group of people,” an X user added.
See the memo below:
Parliament is a nice place pic.twitter.com/5YheNm6u2C
— Gotfred Akoto Boafo (@eastsportsman) September 3, 2026
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