Former Auditor-General Daniel Yaw Domelevo has backed the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s decision to investigate the alleged GH¢70,000 payment linked to the vetting of ministerial and Supreme Court nominees, saying the controversy must be independently examined to establish the truth.

He said the allegations had surfaced on several occasions and should not be dismissed solely because Deputy Minority Leader and Asokwa MP Patricia Appiagyei has denied receiving or discussing any such payment.

According to him, the investigation should determine whether the disputed memorandum is genuine and whether the signature attributed to the MP is authentic.

Mr Domelevo also questioned the appropriateness of MPs receiving payments from the Presidency after participating in parliamentary vetting exercises.

He argued that any sitting allowances due Members of Parliament should ordinarily be provided for through Parliament’s own budget rather than being paid from the budget of another government institution.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, September 5, Mr Domelevo said the OSP should subject the disputed document to forensic examination to establish whether it was authored by Mrs Appiagyei or whether her signature had been forged.

“…But it needs to be investigated, and we’ll be sure that somebody is just being mischievous or it actually happened,” he said.

Mrs Appiagyei has denied receiving or discussing any money in connection with the ministerial vetting process and has described the memorandum alleging the GH¢70,000 payment as fake.

Mr Domelevo said the OSP’s investigation should therefore bring clarity to the competing claims and establish the facts surrounding the document and alleged payment.