By Daniel Bampoe
The sweeping anti-corruption campaign launched by the Mahama administration under the banner of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) has triggered one of the largest bail controversies in the legal history, with state investigative agencies and the courts demanding at least GH¢1.7 billion in bail from persons accused of financial crimes against the state since January 2025.
A comprehensive analysis by JoyNews Research reveals that investigators and prosecutors initially sought bail totaling approximately GH¢1.7 billion, equivalent to about US$146 million, across several high-profile corruption and financial crime cases involving former government officials, politicians and public servants.
However, after judicial review, the courts reduced those cumulative bail conditions to about GH¢833 million, representing a reduction of more than GH¢830 million.
The figures highlight a growing debate over whether investigative agencies are imposing excessively high bail conditions that are later found to be unreasonable by the courts.
The findings come as the Mahama administration continues implementing its anti-corruption agenda, which was a central campaign promise during the 2024 general elections.
Through the ORAL initiative, government pledged to recover allegedly misappropriated public funds and prosecute officials suspected of causing financial loss to the state during the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
The investigations have affected former ministers, heads of state institutions, politicians, senior public servants and other individuals accused of procurement breaches, money laundering, fraud, stealing and causing financial loss to the state. None of the major cases has yet resulted in a final conviction.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has defended the high bail figures, maintaining that bail conditions are determined by the gravity of the alleged offences and the amounts involved.
According to him, suspects who consider the bail conditions excessive have the legal option of applying to the courts for a review or variation.
However, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and legal advocates have questioned whether some of the bail conditions effectively amount to detention without conviction.
Critics argue that bail should only secure the attendance of suspects during trial and should not become an indirect punishment before guilt is established.
Osei Assibey Antwi Records Highest Bail
Among all the cases reviewed, former Executive Director of the National Service Authority, Osei Assibey Antwi, received the highest bail ever recorded during the period.
Charged over an alleged payroll fraud scandal involving billions of cedis, the High Court initially fixed his bail at GH¢800 million on October 30, 2025—one of the highest bail amounts in Ghana’s judicial history.
Unable to satisfy the conditions, Mr. Assibey Antwi remained in custody until the court reduced the amount to GH¢623 million in November before further lowering it to GH¢120 million in December 2025.
He subsequently met the revised conditions and was released on bail while standing trial on 21 amended criminal charges, including causing financial loss to the state.
Signals Bureau Case
Another major prosecution involves former Director-General of the National Signals Bureau, Kwabena Adu-Boahene, who is accused of diverting approximately US$7 million earmarked for Ghana’s cyber security infrastructure.
Police initially imposed bail of GH¢120 million, but the court later reduced it to GH¢80 million, subject to regular reporting and travel restrictions.
His wife and co-accused, Angela Adjei Boateng, was also granted bail in the same amount.
SML And GRA Prosecution
The Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) investigation, involving allegations of financial impropriety valued at approximately GH¢1.44 billion, has also produced some of the country’s highest bail conditions.
Six accused persons, including former Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority Emmanuel Kofi Nti, former Commissioner-General Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, and Member of Parliament for Jaman South Kwadwo Damoah, were each granted GH¢50 million bail with justified sureties.
Former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, who has since been charged as the first accused person in the case, was declared a fugitive and therefore has no local bail conditions.
Buffer Stock Case Takes Several Turns
One of the most dramatic prosecutions has been that involving former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), Abdul-Wahab Hanan Aludiba, and his wife Faiza Seidu Wuni.
The couple initially faced allegations involving approximately GH¢78 million under the School Feeding Programme. EOCO first granted Mr. Aludiba GH¢60 million bail in June 2025.
After investigators alleged that the sureties had submitted forged documents, the High Court increased the combined bail to GH¢150 million, including GH¢100 million for Mr. Aludiba alone.
In May 2026, the Attorney-General unexpectedly withdrew all charges against the couple. However, moments after their discharge from court, EOCO re-arrested them and filed fresh charges.
Upon their re-arraignment, Mr. Aludiba’s bail returned to GH¢60 million, while his wife was granted GH¢3.5 million bail.
He was arrested once again at Kotoka International Airport in July 2026 after returning from abroad, prompting his legal team to file a habeas corpus application challenging his continued detention.
Mustapha Abdul-Hamid
Former National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and six others are also facing prosecution over allegations that more than GH¢291 million and US$323,000 were unlawfully collected from oil marketing companies between 2022 and 2024.
Each accused person was granted GH¢2 million bail. However, several remained in custody after failing to satisfy the requirement of producing justified sureties.
The prosecution later encountered legal difficulties following a court ruling questioning the authority of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to prosecute criminal cases without the express approval of the Attorney-General.
Other High-Profile Cases
Several other politically exposed persons have also been granted significant bail during ongoing investigations.
Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) secured GH¢50 million bail in connection with allegations of fraud, money laundering and causing financial loss arising from illegal mining investigations.
Former Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund Chief Executive Solomon Asamoah received GH¢15 million bail over the Sky Train project, while former Board Chairman Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Ekumfi was granted GH¢10 million bail.
Former Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) Managing Director Edwin Provencal was granted GH¢30 million bail after EOCO reduced its initial demand of GH¢60 million over alleged losses linked to the Gold-for-Oil Programme.
Former National Service Authority Deputy Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah obtained GH¢10 million bail in an investigation involving approximately GH¢38.4 million, while Liberal Party of Ghana leader Percival Kofi Akpaloo was also granted GH¢10 million bail.
More recently, former Executive Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee on Decentralisation (IMCCoD), Dennis Miracles Aboagye, was granted GH¢50 million bail following his arrest at Kotoka International Airport over alleged procurement and financial irregularities involving GH¢55 million.
His lawyer, Samuel Atta Akyea, described the conditions as “cruel and oppressive.” Mr. Aboagye later satisfied the conditions and was released on July 14, 2026.
Meanwhile, Bono Regional NPP Chairman Kwame Baffoe (Abronye DC) has faced three separate arrests over alleged offensive public statements, attracting bail ranging from GH¢50,000 to GH¢1 million.
Bail Conditions Beyond Cash
Research noted that the financial figures do not fully reflect the burden placed on suspects.
Beyond cash bail, most accused persons have been required to produce justified sureties—individuals who must prove ownership of landed properties with values equivalent to the bail amounts.
Other restrictions imposed include frequent reporting to investigative agencies, surrender of passports, travel bans and border stop-list orders.
The research also noted that bail conditions for former National Service Authority Deputy Executive Director Kwaku Ohene Djan and former IMCCoD accountant Gerald Appiah were not publicly disclosed and were therefore excluded from the calculations, suggesting the overall value of bail imposed during the ORAL investigations could be even higher.
