The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, has suggested that the report of the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) Committee should have been handed over to the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) instead of the Attorney-General.
According to him, this would help depoliticize investigations and prosecutions related to the alleged $21.19 billion in state losses.
Dankwah argued that because the ORAL cases are likely to extend beyond President John Dramani Mahama’s four-year term, there is a risk that any government that follows could discontinue the cases through a nolle prosequi if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not retain power in 2028.
He made this statement in a Facebook post, emphasizing the need for continuity in prosecuting corruption cases.
“As a result, I think the Attorney-General should resource and strengthen the OSP to take on several of these potential political ORAL cases so that we can be assured that those trials will continue beyond the government’s term,” Dankwah wrote.
The ORAL Committee, chaired by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, claims to have identified billions of dollars in potential recoveries from looted state assets and undervalued land sales.
Presenting the report at the Jubilee House on Monday, February 10, Ablakwa asserted that successfully recovering the funds could eliminate the need for Ghana to seek financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
He cited cases such as the National Cathedral project, the Power Distribution Services (PDS) scandal, and the Saltpond decommissioning project as some of the most significant corruption concerns.
President Mahama, after receiving the report, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fighting corruption, declaring that “Ghana is no longer a safe haven for corruption.” He subsequently forwarded the report to Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine for further action.
However, Dankwah expressed doubts about the effectiveness of this approach, pointing to past instances where successive governments were accused of shielding political allies from prosecution.
He noted that while President Mahama’s administration had discontinued several court cases deemed politically motivated, the previous government under Nana Akufo-Addo also failed to prosecute many corruption cases, often not even filing charges.
“These challenges have arisen because successive governments have not prioritized the separation of the Attorney-General’s role from state prosecution. So, for now, the surest bet to ensure continuation of prosecutions is to use the OSP,” he said.
Dankwah further argued that entrusting the OSP with ORAL-related prosecutions would not only prevent accusations of political witch-hunting but also ensure that corruption trials continue even if there is a change of government.
He called for constitutional reforms to permanently separate the Attorney-General’s office from state prosecution, preventing political interference in corruption cases.
For now, however, he believes the best way to safeguard the integrity of ORAL’s findings is to shift responsibility to the Special Prosecutor’s office, which operates with greater independence from the executive.
Source – 3News
