President-elect John Dramani Mahama has refuted allegations that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) committee is being used as a political witch-hunting tool, following concerns that it may unfairly target members of the outgoing administration.

Speaking at a meeting with the Canadian High Commission in Ghana on Thursday,19 December, Mr.  Mahama explained that the primary goal of the committee is to gather evidence of alleged corruption and forward it to the relevant government bodies once his administration assumes office.

“I think people are misunderstanding it. We’re receiving a lot of information on things that are going wrong, or things, I mean, corruption scandals and all that,” Mr. Mahama said.

“We want a focal point where all evidence on corruption scandals or misconduct can be directed. ORAL is not investigating individuals but compiling evidence for government agencies tasked with such duties … I don’t think people should think that it’s a witch-hunting committee. We have no brooms to fly at night,” he added, addressing the concerns directly.

Mr. Mahama also clarified that the ORAL committee is operating pro bono, with no associated budget or financial cost, and its purpose is to ensure accountability and fairness.

He urged political parties and civil society organisations to collaborate in fostering transparency, reiterating that the initiative is focused on tackling corruption, not targeting individuals.