Wednesday, 19 February

ORAL prosecutions to start next month – Attorney-General declares

Politics
Dr Dominic Ayine

The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that individuals found culpable in the Operation Retrieve All Loot (ORAL) investigations will be arraigned before the courts next month.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, Dr. Ayine disclosed that he would meet with the technical team reviewing the ORAL documents, led by Deputy Attorney-General designate Justice Srem Sai, on Friday, February 14, to finalize preparations for the prosecutions.

“We are carefully reviewing the documents to ensure that we have airtight cases.

Once this process is completed, we will commence legal proceedings in earnest,” he stated.

ORAL Committee Reports Over 2,400 Complaints

The Operation Retrieve All Loot (ORAL) Committee earlier revealed that it had received 2,417 complaints from individuals and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Committee Chairman, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, made this disclosure on Monday, February 10, 2025, while presenting the team’s final report to President John Dramani Mahama.

“We received 1,493 complaints via the toll-free line and an additional 924 emails. All calls have been recorded, and the emails preserved for verification and validation,” he noted.

Mr. Ablakwa emphasized the critical role of the committee, questioning what complainants would have done if the President had not initiated the ORAL process.

“For those who doubted the necessity of this intervention, the 2,417 complaints received serve as undeniable proof. Where would these individuals have gone if President Mahama had not set up the ORAL preparatory team?” he added.

The ORAL initiative is part of the government’s broader efforts to combat corruption and recover misappropriated public funds, with legal proceedings set to begin in March.

Source: Classfmonline.com/Cecil Mensah