The Former Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah has described the findings of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee as lacking the legal merit required for prosecution.
According to Tuah Yeboah, the large volume of complaints, contends that the reports do not amount to concrete legal evidence.
His comments follow the submission of ORAL’s final report to President John Dramani Mahama, which detailed the committee’s receipt of 1,493 calls through the toll-free line, 924 emails, and a total of 2,417 complaints from individuals and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
In response to the ORAL report, President Mahama has instructed Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to launch immediate investigations into the allegations. This directive is part of the government’s broader effort to fight corruption and recover misappropriated public funds
Tuah Yeboah maintains that legal prosecution requires more than just speculation and unverified claims.
“When it comes to criminal prosecution, it is not about what you think or what is supposed to be done, it is about reality. Propaganda, stealing, and rumour are different from hard-core legal evidence.”
He clarified that while he is not suggesting that those implicated should evade accountability, proper investigative procedures must be followed
“I am not saying these people have not done anything wrong and that they should not be called to account for it. If there are people who have to be investigated, then it should be the state officers.”
Furthermore, he expressed concerns about the legitimacy of ORAL’s investigative process, arguing that a credible joint committee involving state agencies should have been responsible for receiving complaints.
“I do not have issues with gathering because rumours can be gathered by anyone, and that alone has no value. But if, for example, a joint committee had been set up—a joint investigative body consisting of the Police Service and EOCO—and they were there to receive it, then you would see that the state is now working. But people outside the investigative body are now receiving complaints, and those complaints, as I put them, are mere rumours. What value has been put on such rumours?
With the President’s directive for further investigations, the ORAL report remains a contentious subject, sparking debate over the reliability of its findings and the next steps in Ghana’s fight against corruption.