Daniel Domelevo
Former Auditor-General, Daniel Domelevo, has called on President John Mahama to ensure no corruption scandal erupts from his government. Ghanaians are keenly monitoring his operations, especially among his appointees occupying state positions, Mr. Domelevo pointed out.
Mr. Domelevo made this assertion in an interview with Joy News after the ORAL Committee on Monday, February 10 submitted its report to President Mahama containing 2,417 complaints of suspected corruption.
He emphatically stated that while the President has commissioned an Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Team, of which he is a member, there is a need for his government to ensure that there are no additional looting scandals during his tenure.
He said the President while addressing the ORAL members pledged to fight corruption within his government, saying, “The president made a point which made me extremely happy, he did not only talk about ORAL but also OPAL, which is Operation Prevent All Loot, that is the most important thing. Yes, there is leakage which has happened already, let try and fix it but we should prevent additional leakage, and I was very happy when he addressed my worry.”
“It shouldn’t be like we can hold the previous government accountable while we continue to do the same,” he cautioned.
ORAL Must Work
Mr. Domelevo added that with the enormous amount of work and resources invested in the ORAL, he will be disappointed if alleged cases are not handled well, urging that those found culpable must be held accountable.
“I will be extremely disappointed in the President and the Attorney General if, after we have sacrificed to do all these, they don’t subject these issues to proper investigation so that where people are found culpable, they are held accountable,” Mr. Domelevo remarked.
Mr. Domelevo stressed that the focus should go beyond just detaining individuals and also prioritise recovering misappropriated funds, with additional surcharges to ensure those involved face tangible consequences.
This approach, he said, acknowledges that detention alone is not enough to address the issue of misappropriated funds, emphasising that a more comprehensive approach is needed to hold individuals accountable and recover lost funds.
“Personally, I think that we should move into recovering monies with some additional surcharges, rather than just putting people in custody so that they can come back after five or ten years and enjoy their booty,” he said, criticising a system that allows wrongdoers to return without truly paying for their actions.
President John Mahama has received the report from the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Committee, marking a significant milestone in Ghana’s fight against corruption. The report contains 2,417 complaints of suspected corruption, gathered through a public call for reports, with 1,493 submissions made via a toll-free call line and 924 received by email.
Mr. Mahama has instructed Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to commence immediate investigations into the allegations of corruption and financial malfeasance uncovered by the ORAL Committee. The President has emphasised zero tolerance for financial misconduct and has charged the Attorney General to prosecute persons found guilty of corruption or related offenses.
Mr. Mahama reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to fighting corruption, describing the ORAL initiative as a bold step in combating corruption. He stressed that the diversion of public funds undermines national development, erodes public trust, and deepens inequality.
The ORAL Committee, chaired by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, was formed to recover looted state assets and fight corruption. The committee’s report is seen as a significant step towards holding those responsible for corruption accountable and recovering stolen funds.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke