–By Daniel Bampoe
In a significant revelation that casts new light on the government’s ambitious anti-corruption initiative, Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Srem Sai, has acknowledged that several of the early allegations investigated under the “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) campaign were based largely on hearsay rather than solid evidence.
His admission comes amid growing scrutiny over the effectiveness and transparency of the campaign.
Background of ORAL
Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) was launched on December 18, 2024, as a flagship initiative of the John Mahama administration aimed at tracing, retrieving, and prosecuting acts of corruption committed during the immediate past administration.
It was born out of the National Democratic Congress government’s campaign promise to pursue accountability and reclaim stolen state assets and resources.
The ORAL Committee was set up as a preliminary body to receive complaints, screen them for merit, and hand over credible cases to the Attorney General’s office for legal action.
According to Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, nearly 25,000 complaints were received from the public.
Out of these, only 2,500 were formally processed, and 280 were deemed to have merit.
Sixty-five individuals have since been investigated, with some arrested, granted bail, or placed on trial.
Return of Looted Assets
Speaking to journalists at the Supreme Court last week, Justice Srem Sai revealed that some individuals implicated in the investigations have voluntarily approached the Attorney General’s office, offering to return assets they allegedly acquired unlawfully.
Even more notable, he added, is that some of these individuals have expressed their willingness to serve as witnesses against other accused persons in ongoing court cases.
“Let me tell you, a number of people have approached us making offers to return loot… and we have agreed with some of them. Some of them have opted to be witnesses for us,” he stated.
Srem Sai emphasized that the administration sees voluntary recovery as a pragmatic and cost-effective approach.
“There’s no better way of recovering the money than voluntary recovery. So, if the people are willing to give us what they looted, we will take it.”
Key Prosecutions Underway
While many of the early claims lacked strong evidence, the campaign has led to concrete legal action in several high-profile cases.
Former Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways under the Kufuor administration, Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, and Solomon Asamoah, ex-CEO of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), are currently facing charges over the failed Accra Sky Train project.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi who was board chairman of GIIF was said to have authorize the payment of $2million to the Accra Sky Train contractors in Mauritius.
Additionally, the former CEO of the National Signals Bureau, Kwabena Adu Boahene, and his wife are being prosecuted for alleged embezzlement of state funds.
Srem Sai affirmed the government’s full commitment to ensuring accountability, stating that the administration will “take every necessary measure to ensure that public resources are reclaimed and those responsible are held accountable.”
Criticisms and Transparency Efforts
The NDC government’s approach has not been without criticism.
Civil society actors and some political observers have questioned the credibility of the process, especially considering that many of the initial allegations lacked hard evidence.
However, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has defended the work of the ORAL Committee and the Attorney General’s decision to frequently update the public.
“Some have asked why the Attorney General gives updates. But this is important. The fight against corruption should not be shrouded in secrecy. ORAL was a specific campaign promise. Like all promises, its delivery must be accounted for,” Kwaky Ofosu argued during a May 10 appearance on TV3’s Keypoints program.
He clarified that the ORAL Committee’s role was not prosecutorial but primarily investigative and administrative — functioning as a bridge between public complaints and formal legal investigations.
Way Forward
The revelations by Justice Srem Sai serve as a candid admission that the ORAL campaign’s early days may have been built more on public sentiment than prosecutable evidence.
Yet, the NDC government insists that the initiative is bearing fruit, with substantial assets already recovered and several key figures facing the law.
However, as investigations continue and more individuals cooperate, the true impact of ORAL may yet be measured not just by the number of prosecutions, but by the assets returned to the state and the precedent it sets for future anti-corruption efforts in Ghana.
