Attorney General Praises ORAL’s Progress: A New Era of Results

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has praised the progress of the government's Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative. At a citizen engagement in Bolgatanga, part of President John Dramani Mahama's Resetting Ghana Agenda tour of the Upper East Region, Dr Ayine stated that all investigations into 34 cases developed from the preliminary work of the ORAL Committee had been completed.

ORAL Making 'Fantastic Job', Says Attorney General

Dr Ayine explained that the investigations were being conducted carefully to ensure that the government's anti-corruption drive did not amount to political persecution. "On record, ORAL is doing a fantastic job, and the people of Ghana will begin to see the results of the prosecutions sooner than later," he said.

The investigations went beyond the work of state investigative agencies, including the Bureau of National Intelligence and the Economic and Organised Crime Office, but also involved forensic audits where necessary. Dr Ayine stated that the forensic audit of the National Cathedral project, commissioned by President Mahama, formed part of the broader effort to establish the facts and ensure accountability.

Government Rejects NPP Claims of Delayed ORAL Cases

Dr Ayine rejected claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that ORAL-related cases were being delayed or that the Attorney General was losing cases in court. He said the government had already filed five corruption-related cases within its first year, describing it as a record under the Fourth Republic.

The Attorney General cited several previous corruption cases to demonstrate the length of time such prosecutions had taken under successive governments. He said the case involving the former boss of the National Signals Bureau, Kwabena Adu-Buahene, was progressing, with the prosecution having presented documentary evidence on the movement of GH¢16.5 million from a public account into a private account and its subsequent use.

ORAL's Scope Goes Beyond 34 Dockets

Dr Ayine stressed that ORAL was not limited to the 34 dockets developed from the committee's report, adding that investigations were also being pursued into other matters, including the former boss of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Local Government, Denis Miracles Aboagye. He therefore urged Ghanaians to judge the initiative by its eventual outcomes rather than what he described as negative narratives surrounding the prosecutions.

President's Directive on ORAL

Dr Ayine assured Ghanaians that President Mahama had directed that the anti-corruption drive must be conducted professionally and without persecution of political opponents. He said the President would not approve any attempt by the Attorney General's Office to use ORAL as a tool to persecute political opponents. "I want to emphasise the fact that His Excellency the President, as far as ORAL is concerned, will never approve that in my capacity as Attorney General, we engage in any persecution of a political opponent," he said.

The outcome of the ORAL initiative is now expected to be seen in the coming days, with several cases ready for filing in court. As the Attorney General continues to assure Ghanaians of the initiative's progress, one thing is clear: the road to justice is being paved with meticulous work and careful investigation.

Source: JOY