The ORAL team has found 33 corruption cases that are prepared for prosecution – Mahama

According to President John Dramani Mahama, 33 corruption-related cases are presently being built by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice against former government appointees, with some prosecutions already under progress.

The President discussed the government’s stepped-up anti-corruption drive at a high-level meeting with the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the Jubilee House.

“We set up the ORAL Committee, and they have identified 33 cases, which were handed over to the Attorney General,” Mahama revealed. “We have created special investigative teams to investigate each of them.”

According to the President, investigations have unearthed significant evidence, particularly regarding the unlawful acquisition of properties.

“Some of them have found a lot of evidence of the procurement of properties with illicit wealth. With many of them, they are just at the point of beginning prosecution. Some have also started the prosecution, and others are being lined up,” he added.

Soon after President Mahama won the 2024 election, a specialized anti-corruption task force called the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Team was established.

The goal of the project was to look into suspected financial wrongdoing during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. Investigating cases of embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, and unexplained wealth acquisition by public authorities are all part of ORAL’s mandate.

ORAL was set up to function independently while collaborating closely with the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and security services. The Attorney General is tasked with prosecuting its conclusions.

The opposition NPP strongly criticized the establishment of the ORAL Team, accusing the Mahama-led administration of conducting a politically driven witch hunt.

Prominent NPP members contended that the program was opaque and intended to stifle dissenters and damage the standing of the former government.

Some NPP-aligned critics referred to ORAL as “a tool for political retribution rather than justice,” saying that it could exacerbate tensions and feed instability if not handled fairly and in accordance with due process.

Despite the response, President Mahama has defended ORAL as a critical tool for restoring transparency and public faith in governance. His administration has repeatedly stated that the investigations are based on evidence and not politically motivated.