A significant portion of corruption-related cases compiled by the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team requires thorough auditing to substantiate allegations and guide legal actions, according to Daniel Domelevo, a member of the team.

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Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, February 11, Domelevo emphasized the need for an independent financial and procurement audit, explaining that ORAL’s role was limited to information gathering. He clarified that the team does not have the legal authority to conduct investigations and, as such, appropriate agencies must step in to verify breaches before prosecutions can proceed.

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“The bulk of it needs auditing to establish those had procurement breaches and cases that were not in line with the laws of Ghana because we didn’t do any investigation. We don’t have a mandate to investigate, ours was to collect information,” Domelevo told host Bernard Avle.

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The ORAL team, established by President John Dramani Mahama, compiled 2,417 corruption-related complaints from the public following a nationwide call for reports. The team officially presented its findings to the president on Monday, February 10, at the Jubilee House. The cases, submitted through various channels, included financial fraud and procurement breaches, among other infractions.

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Committee Chairman and Foreign Affairs Minister Okudzeto Ablakwa, who presented the report to the president, highlighted the widespread public concern about corruption and the urgency for action. He stated that Ghanaians were closely watching the government’s response to these allegations.

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“The President promised he was going to recover all loot and after the elections, he was inundated by messages of reported corruption and so he thought it wise to put us together to collect those information and so what we presented yesterday was on corruption and corruption-related cases, financial fraud and procurement breaches,” he noted.

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Since its formation, ORAL has received 1,493 reports through a toll-free call system and 924 via emails, totaling 2,417 complaints. President Mahama initiated the team’s work even before his swearing-in, underscoring his commitment to tackling corruption.

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The next phase involves forensic audits by relevant state agencies to determine the credibility of the cases and recommend necessary legal steps.

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