Legal practitioner and policy analyst Martin Luther Kpebu says the extortion allegation involving Ghana’s Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, should not distract from questions about how public money was used under the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP).
Mr Kpebu described the allegation as “not a big deal” and said the central issue should be whether funds spent on gold purchases delivered an economic benefit to citizens.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Monday, 25 August 2026, he argued that the money should be viewed in the context of the purpose it was intended to serve, rather than being treated as lost.
“This matter, I really don’t see it as any big deal. Where we should focus is trying to explain that the money was well spent, instead of it being seen as lost,” he stated.
Mr Kpebu said other policy analysts shared the view that the funds had been used to support the cedi and help contain inflation, with the aim of reducing the cost of goods and services.
“The money was used to achieve a certain purpose: to stabilise the cedi so that inflation would be kept low so prices of goods and services would be lower,” he added.
His comments followed a decision by Mr Afenyo-Markin to sue Sammy Gyamfi, Chief Executive of the Ghana Gold Board, and others over claims describing him as an extortionist.
The Effutu MP announced the legal action in Parliament on Monday, a day after he had indicated that he was not yet committed to taking the matter to court.
“Mr. Speaker, in the face of the allegations of extortion levelled against me, I have chosen to take the high moral ground by submitting myself to the processes of the law. I have accordingly caused writs to be filed in suit number GT 1029/2026, entitled Osahene Alexander Afenyo-Markin versus Samuel Adu Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited, at the Accra High Court, and in suit number GR/ACH/CC/C5/02/2026, titled Osahene Alexander Afenyo-Markin versus Eric Adjei and Peace FM, at the Achimota Circuit Court,” he announced.
He said he was confident that the courts would eventually reach the appropriate decision in both cases.
Mr Afenyo-Markin also challenged those who had made the allegations to report them to the police, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) or another investigating body.
“Mr. Speaker, I also await with bated breath that the man or the men who made the allegation will have the courage to report the matter to the police, the OSP, or any investigating agency in this country. I expect that if they have the courage to report that I have extorted money from them, and I am invited, I shall submit myself to every investigation so that eventually my name is cleared,” he stated.
“There is, Mr. Speaker, a limit to political discourse. There are lines that must not be crossed, and these red lines, once crossed, must be dealt with,” Afenyo-Markin warned.
The legal action marked a change in position for the Minority Leader. During an appearance on JoyNews on Sunday, 23 August, he had declined to say whether he would sue, referring instead to the biblical account of Jesus Christ remaining silent when accused.
“I have made certain statements. I would rely on them without more. Don’t rush. In the Bible, Jesus was accused with wild allegations. He kept quiet and watched them. He could have done anything,” he said.
He explained that his public role required him to show maturity and avoid allowing anger to influence his response.
“But you see, when you are dealing with situations, the people of Ghana expect a certain level of maturity from me. The people of Ghana see that this is an accomplished businessman. He’s been in the space for some time. He’s leading a group. The tradition of the partyNPPthat I lead expects a certain level of conduct,” he noted.
Mr Afenyo-Markin had also said the accusations were intended to draw attention away from concerns about the DGPP, a tactic he insisted would not succeed.
“So, if I were to be carried away by emotions, I would fail. It’s not an emotional game. It’s not a game where somebody attacks you and you should also react. No, you won’t get it,” he said.
The dispute began after Mr Afenyo-Markin questioned reported losses linked to the DGPP and called for greater transparency and accountability over GoldBod’s involvement in the transactions.
Sammy Gyamfi is alleged to have responded by calling the Minority Leader an “extortionist”, a description Mr Afenyo-Markin said was defamatory. He initially threatened legal action in a Facebook post before softening his position and saying the attacks were designed to divert attention from the substantive issues. On Monday, however, he proceeded with the lawsuits against Sammy Gyamfi and the two media organisations.
