The Attorney General and Minister of Justice Designate, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine has defended the legality of one of his government’s flagship promises ‘Operation Recover All Loot’ (ORAL) team.
The minister-designate told members of the appointment committee of parliament during his vetting on Monday, January 13, 2025, that the operation of the ORAL team is commensurate with the values and principles of Ghana’s Constitution and its preamble forms the core basis of the ORAL team’s mandate. He, however, admitted that the ORAL doesn’t constitute a traditional legal body.
“If you look at the preamble to our Constitution, it is very clear about the fundamental values underpinning it. The value of accountability is one of the principles articulated in the preamble,” he stated.
According to the Minister Designate, ORAL’s primary aim is to recover stolen property, funds, and other intangible resources for the benefit of the nation with a primary target of politically exposed people who have through corrupt means used their positions to siphoned money off the state.
“ORAL is supposed to exact accountability from politically exposed persons who misuse their office to loot public resources by way of property, money, and other intangible resources. And so, ORAL is constitutional,” Ayine asserted.
He added that the ORAL team has some specific guidelines that respect the rule of law and are devoid of any human rights infringements, therefore its non-legal nature does not necessarily make it illegal.
“The fact that it is a non-legal body doesn’t mean it is illegal,” he added.