ORAL has no basis in law, Mahama should revoke the team - Ansah-Asare

A former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansah-Asare, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to revoke the appointment of the five-member Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, warning that the team could bring the administration into disrepute.

In an interview with JoyNews on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, he reiterated that constitutional bodies have already been empowered to address such matters and that ORAL lacks legal basis and serves no additional purpose.

“The moment I read about ORAL, I pointed out that it has no support in law. So, the Attorney General-designate, he should be able to tell the general public, you know, the legality or otherwise of ORAL," he noted.

Ansah-Asare emphasised that ORAL is not mandated to resolve issues with finality, a function he believes has already been exceeded.

“This is one of the problems we are going to have with ORAL. I would suggest to President Mahama to revoke its creation and appointment to prevent it from exceeding its bounds,” he noted.

He further argued that the formation of ORAL appears to serve political interests and could lead to controversy.

“They may mean well, but from my perspective, ORAL is to settle political goals. We don't need that sort of thing. And I don't think John Mahama, with the greatest respect, wants to immerse himself in controversy," he noted.

He also cautioned that ORAL might become a liability.

“This ORAL thing, you know, is going to be, you know, his own undoing. At the same time, you know, they can also give some good tips. But overall, ORAL is going to be one of the several entities that incoming administrators, presidents have established, only to realise that the members of the committee will take the law into their own hands to the embarrassment of the person who set it up," he added.

He stated that former President Jerry John Rawlings, who championed accountability, didn't see the necessity of such a team.

“Former President Rawlings preached accountability but didn’t feel the need to create a body like ORAL. We have existing institutions such as EOCO, CHRAJ, the police, and BNI. Whistleblowers can pass information to these bodies, and the law will take its course. ORAL is unnecessary and uncalled for,” he argued.

The former director of the Ghana School of Law asserted that the constitution does not anticipate the establishment of entities like ORAL.

“If we allow our leaders to consistently create new bodies in the name of accountability, we risk having multiple committees performing overlapping functions, leading to inefficiency and infighting. ORAL is devoid of legality and should be scrapped,” he stated.

Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice-Designate, has defended the ORAL team, describing it as a critical tool for accountability and the recovery of misappropriated state resources.

Speaking during his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 13, 2025, Dr Ayine rejected criticisms that the ORAL team is not backed by law.

The five-member team, inaugurated on December 18, 2024, is chaired by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and is tasked with recovering public funds and assets unlawfully acquired by individuals.

He argued that ORAL is firmly grounded in the 1992 Constitution.

JKB/AE

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