ORAL won’t fail, NPP will feel the heat — Abass Nurudeen

Chief Executive Officer of the Social Investment Fund, Abass Nurudeen, has stated that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative is already producing results and will intensify in the coming months.

Speaking on Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, Mr. Nurudeen cautioned members of the opposition New Patriotic Party against claims that the anti-corruption initiative had failed.

“The NPP people saying ORAL has failed should be careful what they are asking for. ORAL will soon take effect. It won’t fail,” he stated.

According to him, individuals implicated in ongoing corruption-related investigations should expect the legal process to intensify as authorities continue their work under the initiative.

Mr. Nurudeen insisted that ORAL was already making progress, revealing that the Attorney-General was currently handling more than 200 cases linked to alleged corruption and financial misconduct.

“So far the Attorney-General is handling more than 200 cases, 15 are in court, and money recovered is about GH¢600 million. ORAL is working,” he stated.

The Social Investment Fund CEO stressed that the initiative was not a political tool but a legal process aimed at ensuring accountability and recovering state resources.

He rejected suggestions that the country was descending into lawlessness because of the ongoing investigations and prosecutions.

“No one should create the impression we are in a banana republic. If you are caught, the process will deal with you legally,” he added.

Mr. Nurudeen also criticised former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, arguing that he was not the appropriate person to comment on issues relating to accountability and anti-corruption investigations.

“The last person that should be talking about these things is Godfred Dame because of things that happened during his time,” he said.

He further referenced past allegations of witness tampering involving the former Attorney-General, claiming such actions would have attracted severe consequences in other jurisdictions.

“In any serious jurisdiction his licence would be taken from him,” he alleged.

According to Mr. Nurudeen, comments previously made by Mr. Dame regarding politically exposed cases under the former administration also raised concerns about alleged interference within the judicial process.

He maintained that the current administration remained committed to ensuring that all cases linked to ORAL were handled within the framework of the law and through the courts.

The ORAL initiative has become one of the government’s flagship anti-corruption programmes, established to investigate and recover alleged misappropriated state funds and assets.

The initiative has triggered intense political debate between the governing National Democratic Congress and the opposition NPP, with government officials insisting that investigations and prosecutions under the programme are being pursued lawfully and based on evidence.