A political firestorm has erupted in the capital following the submission of a joint petition to Ghana’s top anti-corruption and legal institutions, calling for a criminal investigation into extortion allegations involving the Minority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin.
The petition, dated August 23, 2026, and filed by the Communications Director of the United Party, Solomon Owusu, and the party’s Director of Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Andrew Appiah-Danquah, alleges a $1 million extortion attempt, abuse of public office and a scheme involving the alleged misuse of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The Allegation: A $1 Million Demand
At the centre of the petition is an allegation that $1 million was demanded from Mr Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, purportedly by or on behalf of Hon. Afenyo-Markin.
According to the petition, the alleged demand was linked to a “calculated campaign of reputational attacks.”
The petitioners cite a public statement made by Mr Gyamfi on August 19, in which he alleged that political figures were using false accusations to force targets into “compulsory arbitration”—a euphemism, according to the petitioners, for paying for silence.
The “RTI Negotiation” Scheme
The petition also raises allegations about an “enterprise” purportedly associated with the Minority Leader. It is alleged that a dedicated team uses the Right to Information Act to obtain information from public institutions.
According to the petition, the information is subsequently used as leverage, with alleged “negotiators” demanding financial benefits in exchange for halting parliamentary pressure or adverse publicity.
“The public interest demands neither a presumption of guilt nor a conspiracy of silence,” the petition states, urging that the “exceptionally grave” allegations be moved from the realm of political rhetoric into a formal, evidence-led inquiry.
Petition Sent to Multiple State Institutions
The United Party has not limited the petition to a single state institution. Copies were submitted 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)
- The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID)
The petitioners argue that, if substantiated, the allegations would represent a “fiduciary betrayal” of the highest order.
Conversely, they acknowledge that if the claims are found to be false, they would constitute a “serious assault” on the integrity of Parliament itself.
Constitutional Stakes
Invoking Articles 1, 35 and 218 of the Constitution, the petitioners emphasise that public power is a trust that cannot be converted into an instrument of “private enrichment, political retaliation, or coercion.”
Investigators are being asked to secure relevant electronic communications, call logs and financial records before they can be “altered, deleted, or lost.”
Specifically, the petition requests that Mr Sammy Gyamfi and Mr Eric Adjei, Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), be formally invited to provide evidence, while ensuring that Hon. Afenyo-Markin is afforded the full presumption of innocence.
A Test for Ghana’s Institutions
“Ghana has witnessed the gradual normalization of allegations of corruption… without the prompt institutional response necessary to establish responsibility,” the petitioners stated.
“No office-holder is entitled to convert institutional authority into personal leverage,” they added.
As of press time, the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Speaker of Parliament had not issued formal statements regarding the receipt of the petition or the allegations contained in it.
By Editorial Suite, Randy Sekyi Snr
