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The minority in Parliament has condemned the operations of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), describing them as unconstitutional and a threat to the nation’s legal framework.
“It is concerning, and we want the people of Ghana to know that no serious country will entertain anything such as this,” stated Suame MP John Darko during a press conference on Wednesday, January 15.
Mr. Darko criticised ORAL, arguing that its formation violates the Constitution and undermines the authority of legally established institutions such as the Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
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ORAL, an initiative by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, is tasked with identifying, investigating, and recovering state assets allegedly stolen by members of the former Akufo-Addo administration.
Allegations include the theft of lands, money, vehicles, and dubious contracts. The committee has received numerous suspected cases currently under investigation, with findings expected to be presented to the Attorney General for possible legal action and prosecution.
The minority expressed disapproval of the Attorney General (AG) nominee, Dr. Dominic Ayine, for endorsing ORAL.
“The AG nominee justified the unconstitutional establishment and putting together of people who go about harassing former government officials. We believe that the establishment of ORAL violates and flies in the face of our Constitution, and so one would have expected that a law professor in the person of Dr. Ayine would have condemned it, but rather, he justified it,” said Mr. Darko.
The minority urged former government officials to boycott any engagements with ORAL, describing its actions as disruptive and unlawful. “If you are a former government official and receive an invitation from ORAL, our advice is simple: boycott it. We refuse to recognise this entity because constitutionally mandated bodies already exist to investigate any alleged misdeeds,” he added.
Mr. Darko further accused the ORAL team of overstepping its bounds by intruding into private homes, seizing vehicles, and confiscating lands from individuals with legitimate ownership.
The minority called on the government to dissolve ORAL and reaffirm the mandate of institutions established by the Constitution to uphold law and order.
