Jerry Ahmed Shaib, the Second Deputy Minority Whip, has refuted reports that Deputy Minority Leader Patricia Appiagyei returned a GH¢70,000 bribe allegedly given to members of Parliament’s Appointments Committee in connection with the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees.
According to Jerry Ahmed Shaib, there was “no truth whatsoever” in the claims and urged the public to disregard the information circulating.
Speaking to TV3 on Friday, September 4, he disclosed that he had spoken directly with the Deputy Minority Leader.
He disclosed that the Deputy Minority Leader was upset by the reports and did not understand their basis.
Jerry Ahmed Shaib stated, “There is no truth whatsoever in that story. I have spoken particularly to my Deputy Minority Leader who has been very upset with the seeming whatever is going round. She doesn’t even understand it, and she is very upset”.
“She thinks that we should be careful how some of these things are generated,” he added.
“So, I can tell you on authority that I have not dealt with anyone, she has not dealt with anyone, I do not know who is dealing with this and where this is coming from.”
“She had not received any money from anyone, and she does not know where this is coming from with a certain signature of hers.”
Background
The development follows a purported memo in which Patricia Appiagyei, the Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Asokwa, returned GH¢70,000 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.”
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