The ORAL Search

Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) instituted by the in-coming John Dramani Mahama’s administration sounds a very good idea, if and only if it will genuinely do the job without targeting certain institutions and personalities to settle scores, while leaving others.

The fairness of this operation devoid of political vengeance and personal vendetta will turn it into an independent state institution like EOCO, OSP and CHRAJ. If the outcome of its operations turnout to be very genuine and successful, who knows, ORAL might be given the powers to prosecute those found to have looted the state.ORAL must recover loots acquired by thugs suspected to be NDC youth during the period after the elections.

In as much as ORAL is seen to have been established to recover loots amassed by appointees of the out-going Nana Addo’s administration, it will just be fair to extent it to at least one person, who stole state funds during the Mills/Mahama administration.

Before I proceed, this write-up is not to protect anyone from the out-going administration. In fact, if I know of anyone who has ill-acquired any state funds, properties, etc., etc., I will surely inform the ORAL team about them.

In 2009, during the first year of the Mills/Mahama administration, a certain gentleman called Alfred AgbesiWoyome, confidently stole from state coffers a cool GH¢ 51,283,480.59, which was USD equivalent of $35,613,528.19 at that time. We are talking of GH¢508,561,182.52, today. This amount can surely do something good for the people of Ghana.

Ghanaians know how Woyome lied about doing business for Ghana during the Kufuor administration, but when the contract was breached, he was not paid off. The truth is, GoG had contracted Waterville to construct stadia and when it was found out that it would not complete them on time, the contract was terminated and Waterville,was paid off, as per terms of the contract. Waterville went ahead to pay off Woyome, who it had employed as financial engineer, for his service.

Later, Woyome went to government to demand payment. He was driven away by Hon. KwadwoMpiani because he had no contract with the state. Come 2009, with NDC in power, Woyome tookgovernment to court and won by default judgment, an amount of GH¢51,283,480.59. Waterville’s lawyer admitted that Woyome was paid off when GoG terminated the contract. So, where from this?

Even though Woyome could not prove that he indeed had contract with government, the court in default judgment ordered GoG to pay a judgment debt of over the GH¢51 million (over $35 million) to him. President Mills directed that payment should not be made, until the truth of the case has been fully established. Nonetheless, GoG made the payment. I believe that the then Vice president John Mahama could not have authorized payment because as Veep he had no authority over the ministers.

Later in the Nana Addo administration, the Supreme Court ruled thatWoyome was to refund the money into state coffers. Accordingly, the state went ahead to acquire Woyome’s properties to offset the money he stole. Unfortunately, it was speculated that the NDC served notice that anyone who bought any of Woyome’s properties, will lose itwhen NDC came back to power.

ORAL must consider this and clear the minds of Ghanaians that it was not set up, politically, to targetonly NPP politicians and government appointees.

I will suggest ORAL should recover the loot from Woyome, then some credibility will be given to it. I will also suggest again that ORAL must be guided by evidence and conduct operations with blind justice. Rumours, speculations, sensationalism must not cloud minds when operations are embarked.

Only a few days ago, there was speculation that the NPP government was transporting gold out of the country. There was a whole commotion as angry youth led by NDC’s national organizer, Mr. Joseph Yamin stormed the airport to halt what turned out later to be a genuine official business by PMMC. No gold was going to be smuggled out of the country into private accounts of NPP top government officials. PMMC was going about official business for Bank of Ghana. As it is the country has lost some credibility in international circles.

While at this, I will be glad if ORAL investigates the Agyapadie Document, which has created lots of confusion in people’s minds this country. The document which was alleged to have originated from the Ofori-Atta family of Akyem Abuakwa, indicated a well-orchestrated plan to take over this country. On the other hand, members of the Ofori-Atta family have hotly denied knowledge about it.

Statements in this document are indeed very alarming and since the current Nana Addo administration did nothing to commission an independent body to investigate it, it will be very much welcome if ORAL does so. Nobody, no group of people, no family must control this country and decide what we must do.

ORAL is a very good idea, but as said earlier, if it abuses its terms of reference or it is seen to be bias and deliberately protecting other looters, it will collapse. And when it does, the looters will have a field day.

The ORAL search should be conducted without fear or favour.

Hon. Daniel Dugan

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

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