NPP Dismisses Extortion Allegations Against Afenyo-Markin, Vows to Pursue GoldBod Accountability
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed allegations of extortion levelled against its Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
NPP Deputy General Secretary, Haruna Mohammed, said the party does not consider the allegations credible and will not allow the controversy to distract it from its demand for accountability over issues surrounding GoldBod.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, August 25, Mr Mohammed said the party had discussed the allegations internally but questioned the credibility of the person making them.
He argued that the credibility of an allegation should also be assessed based on the credibility of the person making it.
According to him, the NPP’s priority is to investigate what it considers potential losses involving a state institution and ensure that anyone responsible is held accountable.
Mr Mohammed criticised Sammy Gyamfi over what he described as previous claims that had later been proven untrue, arguing that such instances had affected the GoldBod CEO’s credibility.
He therefore rejected the suggestion that the latest allegations should be used as grounds to question Mr Afenyo-Markin’s integrity.
The NPP Deputy General Secretary described the Minority Leader as a respected lawyer, Member of Parliament and senior member of the party, insisting that the allegation against him lacked merit.
NPP Maintains Focus on GoldBod
Despite dismissing the extortion allegation, Mr Mohammed said the NPP would continue pursuing its broader concerns regarding GoldBod and the government’s gold transactions.
He said the party remained committed to investigating the matter and demanding accountability from the relevant authorities.
“We will continue to pursue investigation. We will continue to pursue accountability. We will pursue this to the end. And we will ensure that the right thing is being done.”
The comments come amid a growing political dispute between the NPP Minority Caucus and GoldBod over allegations surrounding the government’s gold purchase programme and reported financial losses.
The controversy has also drawn personal allegations involving Mr Afenyo-Markin and Mr Gyamfi, with the Minority Leader previously indicating that he was considering legal remedies over statements made against him.
For now, the NPP says its attention remains firmly on the GoldBod controversy, parliamentary scrutiny and accountability, rather than the personal allegations against its Minority Leader.
