The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah, has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) feels vindicated in its earlier stance that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative was a futile exercise that wasted both time and resources.
Speaking in an interview on October 22, the legislator questioned the relevance of the committee and accused its members of failing to apply their professional expertise to their assigned task.
“Well, let me put it as a question what was the utility of the ORAL?” he asked. “When you consider the composition of the committee, Daniel Domelevo, a very experienced auditor and former Auditor-General; Martin Kpebu, a seasoned lawyer; and retired Commissioner Kofi Boakye, an experienced security officer expectations were high that they would deliver a solid report. But that didn’t happen.”
According to him, despite the wealth of experience among the members, the committee’s work lacked depth and rigor.
“You had all these individuals, including the current EOCO boss, and yet all they did was to receive documents without critically examining their relevance or authenticity,” he claimed. “They simply compiled and submitted the report to the President without refining it. So, really, what was the purpose?”
Nana Baffour Awuah argued that the committee’s output had instead created more problems, adding to the pressure on the Attorney General.
“It seems their work has only compounded the challenges facing the Attorney General,” he said. “And unfortunately, the Attorney General himself is also contributing to the tension with some of the information he’s releasing publicly. It’s really quite regrettable.”
He further questioned the credibility and quality of the report submitted, describing it as poorly put together.
“In truth, what was submitted to the Attorney General was an unrefined document,” he said. “Mr. Domelevo, with all due respect, did not bring his expertise to bear. The same goes for Mr. Kpebu, who, with his legal experience, should have been able to evaluate the admissibility and evidential weight of the documents presented.”
He argued that someone with Kpebu’s 18 years at the bar — and qualifications to serve as a Court of Appeal judge — should have been capable of properly scrutinizing the material before submission.
“If even he couldn’t do that, then, respectfully, the entire purpose of ORAL becomes questionable,” he stated.
The Manhyia South MP concluded that the committee’s report provided little value to the Attorney General and achieved nothing meaningful.
“It was of no benefit whatsoever to the Attorney General,” he insisted. “I said this from the beginning, and now, by the admissions of Mr. Domelevo, Kofi Boakye, and Kpebu themselves, our position has been fully vindicated. ORAL turned out to be a complete waste of time.”
