NewzMinority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says he will pursue legal action over what he describes as defamatory statements made against him amid an escalating dispute over the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP). Mr Afenyo-Markin said the personal attacks against him were an attempt to divert public attention from the substantive questions he had raised about the programme and the role of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) in the transactions. The Minority Leader’s latest response comes amid a war of words between him and GoldBod Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, following concerns raised by the Minority over the reported US$1.7 billion loss associated with the DGPP in 2025.
In a statement, Mr Afenyo-Markin said he had been subjected to what he described as insults and personal attacks over the past week. “Over the past week, all manner of insults and personal attacks have been directed at me, apparently in an attempt to impugn my character and divert attention from the substantive questions I have raised,” he noted. He said the attacks had gone beyond criticism of his position to allegations concerning his motives for questioning the reported losses.
“False and defamatory allegations have also been made about my motives for questioning the losses incurred under the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and the role of GoldBod in those transactions,” he stated. The Effutu MP rejected the allegations and said he was prepared to take the matter beyond the political arena. “These allegations are entirely false, and I reject them without qualification.” ‘I will pursue legal remedies’ Mr Afenyo-Markin then made clear his intention to seek legal redress over the statements he considers defamatory.
“On the defamatory statements made against me personally, I intend to pursue the appropriate legal remedies.” The threat of legal action adds a new dimension to the increasingly heated exchanges surrounding the DGPP, which has come under scrutiny following the IMF’s report of an approximately US$1.7 billion loss under the programme in 2025. GoldBod participated in the domestic gold purchasing transactions, making the institution a central part of the ensuing political debate over the programme. The Minority has been pressing for greater clarity on the financial implications of the tr…
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has defended the Minority’s scrutiny of the Bank of Ghana’s (BoG) Domestic Gold Purchase Programme (DGPP), insisting that attempts to subject him to personal attacks will not distract him from demanding accountability over the programme’s reported losses. Mr Afenyo-Markin said his questioning of the programme and the role of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) was part of Parliament’s constitutional oversight responsibility and was not motivated by any personal or political agenda. In a statement posted on social media on Saturday, August 22, the Effutu MP said the controversy had shifted from the substantive financial issues to attacks on his character following questions he had raised about the reported US$1.7 billion loss, equivalent to about GH¢22 billion, associated with the DGPP in 2025.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in its recent assessment of the programme, said the rapid scaling-up of the DGPP had generated substantial losses for the Bank of Ghana and exposed the central bank to significant quasi-fiscal risks. Mr Afenyo-Markin said he would not be deterred by the backlash. He said the attacks followed concerns raised by the Minority over the financial implications of the gold purchasing programme and GoldBod’s involvement in the transactions.
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