The political scene in Ghana has intensified with the launch of President-elect John Dramani Mahama’s “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) initiative.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the five-member ORAL committee, clarified the group’s scope in an interview on TV3’s Ghana Tonight on Wednesday, December 18.
Ablakwa explained that the primary mandate of ORAL is evidence gathering. “Our mandate is very limited and clear, which is to gather evidence,” he stated, underscoring the committee’s role in compiling information on alleged corruption activities by public officials during the outgoing administration. This collected evidence will be submitted to the appropriate state agencies for further investigation and prosecution after Mahama assumes office.
Despite concerns over the potential overlap with existing institutions, Ablakwa emphasized that ORAL is not intended to function as a parallel structure to bodies like the Office of the Special Prosecutor. He reaffirmed, “We are not prosecutors, we are not judges, we are not going to pronounce anybody guilty.”
Nevertheless, doubts linger regarding the necessity of a new fact-finding team. Mary Awelena Addah, Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), questioned the need for ORAL and suggested that Mahama should focus on strengthening existing anti-corruption institutions rather than creating new ones. “We only need to ensure that what the president has said, he will do so,” Addah stated, advocating for the effective use of current mechanisms.
The ORAL committee comprises notable figures, including former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo, retired Commissioner of Police Nathaniel Kofi Boakye, legal expert Martin Kpebu, and investigative journalist Raymond Archer. Their diverse expertise is expected to aid the evidence-gathering process significantly.
For many Ghanaians, ORAL signals President-elect Mahama’s commitment to combating corruption and restoring public trust in government. Whether the initiative will bolster existing anti-graft efforts or create a parallel framework remains to be seen. Only time will tell if ORAL can deliver on its promises of accountability and the recovery of misappropriated public funds.
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