The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, is scheduled to meet with the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, led by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, to receive a briefing on the information they have gathered concerning corruption investigations.
Dr. Ayine, speaking to the media after his swearing-in, emphasized that while the ORAL committee’s findings will be crucial, they will only form the basis for further legal action once verified evidence is collected. “Information is different from evidence that can be used in a court of law,” he noted, stressing that his office would need to build a solid case from the gathered information to proceed with legal actions.
The ORAL committee was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama before his inauguration, tasked with gathering information on corruption-related issues and allegations of state capture by the previous government. However, the committee has faced significant opposition from the minority in Parliament, who have labeled the team’s formation as illegal and against the laws of Ghana.
Dr. Ayine’s planned meeting with the committee next week is expected to provide clarity on the progress of the investigation, but his remarks make it clear that while the gathered information may be valuable, legal proceedings will only be pursued once thorough evidence has been obtained to support the claims.
The ongoing scrutiny of the previous administration’s handling of state resources has already sparked political tensions, with accusations of corruption remaining a hot-button issue. As Dr. Ayine prepares to take the reins of the country’s legal process, much will depend on how the information gathered by the ORAL team can be transformed into actionable evidence in the courtroom.
