Attorney-General to provide ORAL update today

The Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine, is expected to deliver a major update today, Wednesday, October 22, on the government’s Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) initiative.

The announcement was made by the Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in a social media post outlining key activities on the government’s schedule for the week.

In a Facebook post, Mr Kwakye Ofosu wrote: “Busy week for government. Today, President Mahama is off to the Western Region to cut sod for the dualisation of the 73.6km Cape Coast–Takoradi Road. Tomorrow, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Hon Dr Dominic Ayine, presents a major ORAL update and finally unfurls ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.”

The forthcoming update comes amid heightened public interest in ongoing efforts by state authorities to retrieve misappropriated public funds and assets under the ORAL initiative.

It also follows recent reports suggesting tensions between the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the Attorney-General’s Department over the extradition of former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for prosecution.

However, the OSP has since denied any rift with the Attorney-General, stressing its continued collaboration with the ministry to ensure due process in the matter.

In a press release issued on its official X (formerly Twitter) page on October 20, the OSP stated: “The OSP will continue to cooperate fully with the Attorney-General’s Department to ensure that the matter proceeds lawfully and efficiently. The investigations remain very active; the extradition processes are underway.”

The statement further clarified that the extradition process is a complex, multi-agency procedure involving several legal and diplomatic steps.

“The extradition process is a multi-agency procedure involving several sequential steps and statutory actors. These include investigation and evidence compilation by the OSP, issuance of an arrest warrant by a competent court, preparation of extradition documentation by the OSP, transmission of the package to the Attorney-General as the Central Authority, legal authentication and certification by the Attorney-General, diplomatic transmission to the foreign government in question, and response and determination by the foreign jurisdiction in accordance with treaty obligations,” the OSP explained.

The office also emphasised that there was no institutional conflict between the two agencies, noting that both operate independently but complementarily within Ghana’s constitutional framework.

“These processes are ongoing effectively. In the reckoning of the OSP, it is not at loggerheads or in dispute with the Attorney-General’s Department. Indeed, there is no hint whatsoever of institutional cooperation breakdown between the two authorities,” it stated.

“The two offices are distinct by design but remain complementary arms of justice under Ghana’s constitutional architecture. Differences in function do not imply conflict; they ensure accountability through procedural checks and balances,” the statement added.

The OSP further assured the public that the Special Prosecutor will provide a comprehensive update on investigations, including those involving Mr Ofori-Atta, before the end of October 2025.

Dr Ayine’s scheduled presentation today is expected to shed further light on the government’s progress in asset recovery efforts and other key anti-corruption interventions under the Operation Recover All Loots programme.