The Deputy Minority Leader, Patricia Appiagyei, has accused the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice of violating the Constitution in the management of flood relief funds.

Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday under the theme “A Republic Governed by Chaos,” Mrs Appiagyei alleged that the Minority had obtained a letter dated July 1, 2026, bearing the official letterhead of the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice.

According to her, the letter, signed by the Attorney-General and addressed to the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, raises serious concerns about the legality of the release of GH¢350 million for flood relief efforts.

Mrs Appiagyei said the letter acknowledged that the Contingency Fund, established under the Constitution of Ghana to finance emergencies, was under garnishee proceedings.

She urged the public to consider the significance of that admission, arguing that it confirms the fund was legally encumbered.

“Pause on that sentence, ladies and gentlemen,” she said, stressing the gravity of the matter.

According to her, the Attorney-General’s written confirmation that the Contingency Fund was under garnishee proceedings raises questions about the legality of any directive to release money from the account.

Despite acknowledging the legal proceedings, she alleged that the Attorney-General instructed the Bank of Ghana to proceed with the release of the funds, arguing that the national emergency justified the action.

“Notwithstanding those proceedings, it is my considered opinion that the exceptional circumstances surrounding this national emergency and the overriding public interest in safeguarding lives and property warrant the immediate release of the approved funds,” she quoted from the letter.

Mrs Appiagyei argued that court orders cannot be overridden by the opinion of a minister.

“In the Republic of Ghana, court orders can only be varied, discharged or set aside by the courts that issued them,” she stated.

She further alleged that although the directive referred to the Contingency Fund, the money was actually transferred from a different account.

According to her, if the Contingency Fund was under legal attachment, any emergency disbursement could only have been made from another public account.

“If that is what occurred, then Parliament was never asked to approve that alternative source, and the constitutional requirements governing withdrawals from public funds were bypassed,” she alleged.

Mrs Appiagyei also pointed out that the Ministry of Finance had publicly stated that the funds were released from the Contingency Fund.

She argued that if the money had actually been withdrawn from another account, then the ministry’s statement would not accurately reflect what transpired.

“If the funds were in fact drawn from another account, then that statement did not accurately reflect what transpired,” she said.

The Deputy Minority Leader challenged the government to present documentary evidence before Parliament to prove the source of the GH¢350 million.

“If the GH¢350 million truly came from the Contingency Fund as you told the nation, lay the records before Parliament and prove it. If it did not, then tell Ghanaians which account was used, who authorised the withdrawal, and under what law,” she demanded.

She further argued that Article 177 of the Constitution does not provide a blanket authorisation for withdrawals and that Article 178 prohibits withdrawals from public funds without parliamentary approval.

“If the GH¢350 million was drawn from any account other than the Contingency Fund, then the approval Parliament granted was never executed, the withdrawal that was executed was never approved, and the Constitution and the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which criminalises unauthorised withdrawals of public funds, have been violated in broad daylight,” she alleged.

Mrs Appiagyei also accused the Attorney-General of failing in his duty as the state’s principal legal adviser.

“As principal legal adviser, when the moment came to counsel lawfulness, he counselled the opposite and was rebuffed by the very central bank he sought to direct,” she claimed.

The Minority is demanding answers on several issues, including the court handling the garnishee proceedings, the judgment debt involved, when the Republic was served with the court process, whether Parliament’s Finance Committee was informed on June 29, 2026, which account the GH¢350 million was withdrawn from, who authorised the withdrawal, and the legal basis for the transaction.

Mrs Appiagyei also called on the Finance Minister to account to Parliament, insisting that if the money was released from a different account, fresh parliamentary approval should have been sought.

“Was Parliament misled? Were Ghanaians misled? These are questions that only a full parliamentary inquiry can answer,” she said.

She warned that a lack of transparency in the release of public funds creates opportunities for corruption.

“When GH¢350 million of public money moves out of an account Parliament never approved, under cover of an official statement naming a different source, the conditions for corruption are perfect,” she alleged.

While acknowledging the devastating impact of the floods, which she said claimed 34 lives and displaced about 90,000 people across seven regions, Mrs Appiagyei stressed that the Minority supported the release of emergency funds but insisted that it must be done in accordance with the law.

“This is chaos. A government cannot preach fiscal discipline while its Attorney-General treats court processes as inconveniences,” she concluded.

Note: Since these are allegations by the Minority, using words such as “alleged,” “claimed,” “argued,” “according to her,” and “maintained” throughout the story is important for legal and journalistic balance.