The Chairperson of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) Team, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has clarified that his team’s role is strictly limited to gathering and analysing evidence of corruption, rather than acting as judge or prosecutor.

Speaking with Evans Mensah on PM Express on Wednesday, December 18, he assured the public that the team’s mandate is about protecting the public purse and ensuring accountability through credible and impartial processes.

Mr Ablakwa was emphatic about the scope of ORAL’s work, describing it as an evidence-collection mechanism aimed at empowering relevant state institutions to act.

“I am neither a prosecutor nor a judge. These are not matters where I will have the final say. Our mandate is very clear: we are only gathering the evidence,” he stated.

Reflecting on his experience, he noted, “At a point, people were calling me the ‘Interceptor General’ in this country because I had intercepted so many documents.

"We have incontrovertible evidence on a lot of these scandals, and we must bring them together and make them available to the appropriate institutions.”

Mr. Ablakwa underscored the importance of patriotism in addressing corruption and protecting state resources.

“It is not patriotic to sit on evidence when you come by it. We must all remember that when President Akufo-Addo was coming into office, he said he would protect the public purse.

"Sadly, something happened along the way, and the purse needed to be protected from him,” he remarked.

He continued, “All of us, under the 1992 Constitution, are enjoined to be concerned about public resources, public property, and state assets.

"As patriotic citizens, we must ensure that when we have evidence, it is made available to the institutions that matter.”

Responding to concerns that ORAL might be used as a tool for political witch-hunting, Mr. Ablakwa was categorical.

“There will be no witch-hunting. We are only putting the evidence together. It would be a great disservice to our beloved nation if, with all this evidence, we simply sat on it and did nothing. That is not why we have been entrusted with this responsibility.”

He explained that ORAL’s work would be reviewed by a team of highly respected individuals.

“I am honoured to work with eminent, patriotic citizens who will assess the evidence with me. If they find that a particular piece of evidence is weak or not compelling, it will not feature in the report. It is about thoroughness, not vendetta,” he assured.

For Mr Ablakwa, the ORAL Team represents a chance to restore faith in governance by ensuring accountability.

“Our work is about protecting the public purse and ensuring that state resources are not squandered. This is a moral and constitutional duty,” he declared.

He also highlighted the team’s commitment to transparency.

“Once we gather the evidence, it will be handed over to institutions like the Attorney General’s Office, the Special Prosecutor (OSP), EOCO, or CHRAJ. These institutions will decide the next steps, whether to prosecute or pursue other sanctions,” he explained.

Mr. Ablakwa emphasized that the ORAL Team’s role is part of a broader effort to improve governance.

“We are not the be-all and end-all in these matters. We are simply providing the evidence. The courts, the prosecutors, and the judges will have the final say,” he noted.

The Chairperson concluded by urging Ghanaians to support the team’s work.

“We must all commit to protecting our public resources. ORAL is here to ensure that the plunder of state resources becomes a thing of the past,” he said.