Former Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, has described Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) as a toothless committee without the power to investigate or take substantive action.
He claimed that the information gathered by the team, which was presented to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, February 10, consisted merely of rumours and propaganda.
He dismissed their decision to prosecute individuals based on such information, emphasizing that propaganda, stealing, and rumours are distinct from hard-core legal evidence.
In his view, the ORAL team is ineffective in fighting corruption. He argued that the only viable and appropriate means to combat corruption is to channel the resources and findings obtained by ORAL to the appropriate state institutions for further investigations before prosecution can be considered.
He further suggested that, instead of setting up a body without real authority, efforts should be directed towards strengthening state institutions. He criticized ORAL’s role as merely receiving complaints and passing them on to existing institutions rather than having the actual power to investigate and act on corruption-related issues.
Speaking on Joy News on Tuesday, February 11, he stated, “I don’t think what they have done so far is the best approach. If I were in government, I would have advised them differently. I would tell them that if they have these complaints, they should channel them to the appropriate state institutions to handle corruption-related cases.”
The committee’s findings to the president disclosed that it received 2,417 complaints from individuals and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). Following this, President Mahama has instructed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, to commence immediate investigations into the allegations uncovered by the ORAL committee as part of ongoing efforts to combat corruption and recover misappropriated public resources.
“When it comes to criminal prosecution, it is not about what you think should be done but about legal reality. Propaganda, stealing, and rumours are different from solid legal evidence. I am not saying these individuals have done nothing wrong or should not be held accountable.
“However, if anyone needs to be investigated, it should be state officers within institutions like the Lands Commission. Did these officers follow the correct procedures? If the answer is no, then they should be held accountable. But if someone legally acquired property without any clear evidence of fraud, they should not be prosecuted unjustly.
“I see ORAL as a toothless institution without the power to investigate or take meaningful action. From my perspective, they cannot contribute effectively to the fight against corruption. If there are available resources, they should be allocated to the appropriate state institutions so they can carry out proper investigations.
“Martin Kpebu, as a private legal practitioner, does not have the authority to investigate or prosecute cases. If he had invited me, I would have declined even if I were corrupt. However, if the police were to invite me, I would have no choice but to respond to their summons.
“If we truly want to fight corruption, we need to strengthen state institutions rather than establish bodies that lack power and merely collect and pass on rumours. I do not think what they have done so far is the best approach. If I were in government, I would advise them to refer these complaints to the state institutions for proper investigation and legal action.”He claimed.
