Andrew Egyapa Mercer, the former Member of Parliament for Sekondi and former Minister for Tourism, has told President John Mahama, Ghanaians are waiting for the $21 billion he promised to recover through the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative.
It will be recalled that on February 10, 2025, the ORAL team submitted their final report to President John Mahama, who has since directed the Attorney General for further actions.
The chairman of Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa revealed that with just 36 cases, Ghana can potentially recover $ 20.49 billion in stolen state resources.
Andrew Egyapa Mercer questioned the feasibility of the Mahama government’s claim that it can recover $21 billion from stolen state assets.
According to Andrew Egyapa Mercer, most of the alleged funds have already been disbursed and spent, which will make recovery difficult.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Mercer argued, “We were told that some $100 million or $80 million has been spent and that they were going to recover that money from the project. How are you going to do it? Contractors have been paid, people have worked and received remuneration. You tell Ghanaians that you were going to recover the money — how are you going to do it?” he asked.
“$21 billion is big — that Mr Mahama promised through his (ORAL) committee that we are going to recover for Ghana. We are waiting for them to recover it. The Big push is only $10 billion, and you have $20 billion,” he remarked.
His comments follows, Daniel Domelevo, the former Auditor-General and a member of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team, in his earlier interview with KSM, fumed over the lack of loot recovered so far in the nine months of the John Mahama government.
Domelevo described the Attorney General’s procedure in the ORAL cases as snail speed.
According to Daniel Domelevo, nine months is not a small thing.
He emphasised that before Ghanaians realised that President John Mahama would be done with the quarter.
The former Auditor-General noted that culprits and their lawyers are praying for a change in government.
Speaking in an interview, Daniel Domelevo stated, “With the briefing that the Attorney General has been giving, a lot of work is going on, but am I satisfied? No. I can’t see the end of the tunnel, not to talk of the light at the end of the tunnel”.
“The procedure currently being used is very slow. Nine months is not small. Before we realise, we’ll be done with the quarter.”
He added, “In fact, the prayer of the culprits and their lawyers is that there should be a change in government. Then you hear nolle prosequi, then our money is gone.
It begs one question: were they prepared before coming to office? Because when I look at the quantum of money we should recover and the snail speed at which we are moving, I wonder when we are going to get there,” he lamented.
He further added, “I think we have to change the speed at which we are moving and let people gain the confidence that things are moving and moving very fast. We need to change the legal framework.
If the government refuses to make these changes, it only tells me that either they are doing the same thing, they are also stealing, or they have the intention of stealing”.
Meanwhile, Daniel Yao Domelevo has clarified his recent comments regarding the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL).
According to Daniel Yao Domelevo, his recent comments regarding the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) were taken out of context.
He clarified that he acknowledged the work being done by AG, EOCO, and OSP, but expressed dissatisfaction about the legal system, the framework of fighting corruption.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 11, Mr Domelevo explained, “I think what I said has been taken out of context because almost all of what you have listened to is an excerpt that KSM put out, not the full interview”.
He added, “If you had listened to the full interview, I acknowledged the work being done by AG, EOCO, OSP and all others. And I even said that I am not satisfied, not because I was expecting that convictions would have been made by now or monies would have been recovered by now, but my dissatisfaction is about the legal system, the framework of fighting corruption”.
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