The United Party has petitioned key state institutions to investigate allegations that Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin attempted to obtain US$1 million from Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi.
The petition, dated August 23, 2026, was addressed to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Speaker of Parliament, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Ghana Police Service.
The petitioners, Solomon Owusu, Director of Communications and Spokesperson of the United Party, and Andrew Appiah-Danquah, Director of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, said the complaint was filed in the public interest and was intended to promote accountability and protect the integrity of public institutions.
According to the petition, the allegations followed a public statement made by Mr Gyamfi on August 19, 2026, during the Government Accountability Series, in which he responded to allegations raised by Mr Afenyo-Markin concerning the operations and financial position of GoldBod.
The petition also cites subsequent allegations by Eric Adjei, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), who allegedly accused Mr Afenyo-Markin of extortionist conduct and claimed that individuals associated with him used requests under the Right to Information Act to obtain information before allegedly assuming the role of “negotiators.”
The United Party said it did not have access to the communications, recordings, electronic messages or other evidence that may underpin the allegations and therefore could not determine whether the claims were true.
It nevertheless argued that the allegations were too serious to be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric, particularly because they involved a serving parliamentary leader.
“If the allegations are true,” the petition stated, they could point to the use of political standing, parliamentary influence, access to information or reputational pressure to obtain a substantial private financial benefit. Conversely, if the allegations are false, they could seriously damage the reputation of the Minority Leader and the integrity of Parliament.
The petitioners are therefore calling for an impartial, evidence-led investigation rather than a determination of guilt through political exchanges.
They said investigators should invite Mr Gyamfi to provide a detailed account of the alleged demand, including the amount allegedly requested, when and where it was made, who communicated it, the words used and what was allegedly offered in exchange.
Mr Adjei should also be invited to explain the basis of his allegations, while Mr Afenyo-Markin should be given an opportunity to respond and enjoy the presumption of innocence guaranteed under the law.
The petition further calls for the identification and questioning of any alleged intermediary, negotiator, agent or member of an alleged RTI-related team.
Investigators, it said, should establish whether any demand was made for US$1 million, GH¢10 million or any other consideration and whether such a demand was connected to silence, the withdrawal of allegations, cessation of political attacks, parliamentary action, favourable treatment or what Mr Gyamfi allegedly described as “compulsory arbitration.”
The petitioners also want relevant phone records, call logs, audio recordings, emails, electronic messages, meeting records, payment instructions, draft agreements and device data secured and preserved through lawful processes.
They have asked the Office of the Special Prosecutor to determine whether the allegations fall within its jurisdiction as corruption or a corruption-related offence, while CHRAJ is being urged to examine whether the alleged conduct amounts to corruption, abuse of power or a breach of the constitutional code of conduct for public officers.
The Ghana Police Service and its Criminal Investigations Department have also been asked to open a criminal inquiry into the alleged monetary demand, any accompanying threat and the possible involvement of intermediaries.
The petitioners stressed that they were not asserting that criminal liability had already been established against Mr Afenyo-Markin.
They said their request was simply for those who had made the allegations to present their evidence to the appropriate institutions and for the Minority Leader to be given a fair opportunity to respond.
The United Party warned that failure by state institutions to investigate allegations of such magnitude could undermine public confidence, while premature condemnation of any of the parties would also be unjust.
It is consequently asking the relevant institutions to conduct a prompt, professional, impartial and independent investigation and take appropriate action if the allegations are substantiated.
Story By: Eric Boateng
