‘Extortion claim against Afenyo-Markin not a big deal’ – Kpebu

Legal practitioner and policy analyst Martin Luther Kpebu has downplayed the controversy surrounding allegations of extortion against Minority Leader Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, urging the public to focus instead on the broader financial questions surrounding Ghana’s gold purchasing programme.

Mr Kpebu said the central issue should be whether the funds used in the government’s gold purchases were deployed effectively to achieve their intended economic objectives, rather than the ongoing exchange of accusations between the Effutu Member of Parliament and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.

Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Monday, August 25, 2026, Mr Kpebu described the extortion allegation as “not a big deal” and argued that the government should explain the economic purpose for which the funds were spent.

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 said.

According to the legal practitioner, some policy analysts have argued that the funds spent under the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP) contributed to stabilising the Ghanaian cedi and keeping inflation under control.

He said the programme should therefore be assessed based on the economic outcomes it was intended to deliver.

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.

Mr Kpebu’s comments come amid a growing dispute between Afenyo-Markin and Sammy Gyamfi over the operations and financial implications of the DGPP and GoldBod.

Afenyo-Markin has repeatedly demanded greater transparency over reported losses associated with the gold purchasing programme and has questioned the relationship between GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana in the implementation of the programme.

The dispute escalated after Sammy Gyamfi allegedly described the Minority Leader as an “extortionist”, prompting Afenyo-Markin to threaten legal action.

On Monday, August 24, the Minority Leader confirmed in Parliament that he had followed through with the threat and caused writs to be filed against Mr Gyamfi and others.

He disclosed that one of the cases, suit number GT 1029/2026, was filed at the Accra High Court against Samuel Adu Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited.

A second case, suit number GR/ACH/CC/C5/02/2026, was filed at the Achimota Circuit Court against Eric Adjei and Peace FM.

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,” Afenyo-Markin told Parliament.

He said he was confident that the courts would eventually determine the matter and urged those making the allegations to report them to the appropriate law enforcement agencies if they believed an offence had been committed.

Afenyo-Markin's decision to sue represents a change from the position he expressed just a day earlier.

On Sunday, August 23, while speaking on JoyNews, the Minority Leader declined to confirm whether he would proceed with legal action against Sammy Gyamfi.

Instead, he invoked the biblical example of Jesus Christ, who, he said, remained silent when faced with accusations.

Afenyo-Markin also suggested that the attacks against him could be an attempt to divert public attention from questions surrounding the DGPP and GoldBod.

He argued that he would not allow himself to be distracted by what he considered political bait.

However, by Monday, he had confirmed that legal proceedings had been initiated.

The legal dispute comes as GoldBod faces increased scrutiny over the financial implications of the government's gold purchasing operations.

Afenyo-Markin has previously called on Parliament to scrutinise reported losses associated with the DGPP, arguing that the legislature has a responsibility to examine how public funds are being deployed.

He has also announced that the Minority intends to pursue parliamentary scrutiny of GoldBod's operations when Parliament resumes.

For his part, Mr Kpebu believes the debate should move beyond personal accusations and focus on whether the expenditure produced the economic benefits claimed by its proponents.

The competing positions are likely to keep attention focused on GoldBod, the Bank of Ghana's gold purchasing programme and the broader question of how the state manages the financial risks associated with its economic interventions.