Former United Nations Governance Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has cautioned the Operations to Retrieve Assets and Loot (ORAL) team to exercise caution in their efforts to recover state assets.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Prof. Agyeman-Duah raised concerns about the potential legal and reputational consequences of the team’s approach to exposing alleged misconduct involving state assets.

While acknowledging the importance of retrieving stolen state assets, he emphasised the need for legal and procedural caution. “The initiative to retrieve stolen properties of the state and address illegal acquisitions is commendable, and I fully support it. However, we must be careful about the legality of this process,” he said.

Prof. Agyeman-Duah questioned the publicisation of the team’s activities, suggesting that it could undermine the credibility of future legal proceedings.

“If they are gathering information for possible prosecution by the appropriate legal authorities, then why are they advertising their efforts? Publicising their work could hurt the process if these cases eventually go to court,” he argued.

He also warned against premature accusations, noting that publicly sharing unverified allegations risks damaging reputations. “You are exposing information that may not be substantiated in court, indirectly accusing people of actions they may not have committed,” he added.

Prof. Agyeman-Duah expressed concern about the lack of legal standing for the ORAL team, referencing earlier statements by the team’s chairperson, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who clarified that the group lacks prosecutorial powers. “Their role is to gather and pass on information to the appropriate authorities, which is fine. But the way they are dramatizing their work could backfire legally,” he cautioned.

Highlighting similarities to past asset retrieval efforts under the AFRC and PNDC regimes, Prof. Agyeman-Duah highlighted the dangers of mishandling such initiatives. “History reminds us how people were harassed, abused, and ultimately found innocent, but their reputations and in some cases, their lives were destroyed,” he said

He concluded by urging the team to remain guided by democratic principles and the rule of law. “This is democracy, and we must adhere to our legal frameworks. I support their work wholeheartedly, but I advise them to exercise caution in their approach to avoid undermining their efforts,” he said.

He advised the team to focus on pursuing justice while ensuring that their actions align with the law and protect the reputations and rights of individuals, by upholding the nation’s democratic principles.