Some people appear to be confused about ORAL mandate – Mahama

There seems to be confusion in the minds of people about the work of the the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, President-elect John Dramani Mahama has said.

He clarified that the team is only a focal point to revive information on acts of corruption by officials for onward submission to the state bodies to act on them.

He said “With regards to ORAL, I announced the preparatory committee and people are confused. We are receiving a lot of information on things that are going wrong, corruption scandals and all that., some send me texts on my phones, some call me, others pass through other people. We want a focal point where all the evidence can be directed so that they can assemble the evidence once we come into office.

“ORAL is not going to be investigating people, it is going to gather evidence and pass on the evidence to the institutions that are supposed to do that kind of work. If people have information that they think is useful in the fight against corruption, pass it on to the team.  the team is not ex[acting any payment, there is no budget associated with it.”

Since the formation of the team, some Ghanaians have raised concerns about its functions.

For instance, a governance expert, Kwasi Yirenkyi, said the formation of this committee is unnecessary because state institutions already possess the authority and resources to perform functions such as evidence gathering and prosecution.

“If you ask me, this team that has been formed is not needed; it is the same business as usual. To me, it appears to be a team created to appease party members and others who may have genuine concerns about how some officials have dipped their hands into state coffers. But we already have state bodies like the Attorney-General’s Department, EOCO, CID, and NIB to do the work this team has been mandated to do.

“The question is, the information and evidence that this team gathers—who will act on them? The EOCO, CID, or NIB will have to act because they are the ones with the legal authority to do so,” he told journalists in Accra on Wednesday, 18 December.

The President-elect’s transition team announced that, as a preparatory measure towards rolling out the promise to recover proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible accountable, a team has been established to gather information from members of the public and other sources on suspected acts of corruption.

The team comprises:

• Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa – Chairman
• Mr Daniel Domelevo – Former Auditor-General
• COP (Rtd.) Nathaniel Kofi Boakye
• Mr Martin Kpebu – Private Legal Practitioner
• Mr Raymond Archer – Investigative Journalist

“Anti-corruption, with Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) as a major plank, formed a core part of H.E. John Mahama’s policy platform in the 2024 campaign. He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” a statement from the transition team read.

Earlier, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, Special Aide to the President-elect, issued a stern warning to individuals implicated in corruption under the current NPP administration, urging them to prepare to face the full force of the law.

ORAL aims to retrieve all revenues linked to corruption allegations.

Speaking in an interview with Channel One TV on Tuesday, 10 December, Mogtari reiterated the new government’s commitment to accountability and prudent financial management. She stressed that Ghanaians expect the incoming NDC government to heal the economy and address the pressing issue of hunger.

“We need to revive the economy, and everything else will thrive. Ghanaians have given Mahama a massive win to deliver. We need to recover the looted resources and complete all abandoned projects,” she said.

Mogtari added that Mahama understands the youth’s demand for change, respect, and accountability from leaders.

“You are aware that the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are owed a significant amount of money. Why are they owed? This was a straightforward intervention—if they were paid, we would have power. But we haven’t been told why they have ceased exporting power. Something must be wrong. Why is investment at an all-time low?

“Why are we told we have 12,000 kilometres of roads but haven’t seen them? Why is little being done to combat corruption?” she asked.

She also criticised the current administration’s finance minister, questioning his efforts to improve the economy.

“Nothing has been done. The entire country is in limbo, yet people continue to spend. If we hadn’t won the elections, they would have taken the rest of the money, pocketed it, and gone home to sleep,” she remarked.

The post Some people appear to be confused about ORAL mandate – Mahama first appeared on 3News.

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