President-elect John Dramani Mahama has stated emphatically that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) team isn’t expecting any payment and that their services are pro bono.
According to him, the team’s main function is to act as a storehouse for corruption evidence rather than as an investigative agency.
“With regards to ORAL, I announced the preparatory committee, and people are confused,” Mahama acknowledged.
“We are receiving a lot of information on things that are going wrong—corruption scandals and all that. Some send me texts on my phones, some call me, others pass through other people. We want a focal point where all the evidence can be directed so that they can assemble it once we come into office.”
Mahama clarified further by emphasizing that ORAL would pass gathered data to the proper institutions but would not carry out investigations.
“ORAL is not going to be investigating people. It is going to gather evidence and pass on the evidence to the institutions that are supposed to do that kind of work. If people have information, they think is useful in the fight against corruption, pass it on to the team.”
He also stressed that the initiative is operating without financial incentives or hidden costs. “The team is not expecting any payment.
In response to reports of possible financial irregularities connected to the operation, he stated, “There is no budget associated with it.”
