ORAL is too slow to prosecute, nine months is no small time — Domelevo laments

Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo

Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo has expressed frustration over what he describes as the painfully slow pace of corruption prosecutions being handled by the Attorney-General’s Department, nine months into the Mahama administration.

Speaking on The KSM Show, Mr. Domelevo, who serves on the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) task force, said that despite the administration’s public commitment to fighting corruption, the government’s actions have fallen far short of expectations.

“A lot is being done, but am I satisfied? No,” he said. “I don’t see the end of the tunnel, not to mention the light at the end of it. The process is too slow. Nine months is no small time, and before we realise it, another quarter is gone.”

He warned that the government’s sluggish approach could undermine public trust and embolden corrupt officials who are hoping to evade justice. “It raises the question of preparedness. When I look at the magnitude of funds we need to recover and how slowly things are moving, I wonder when we will get there,” he noted.

Mr. Domelevo further cautioned that the drawn-out process may be playing into the hands of offenders. “The prayer of the culprits and their lawyers is that there should be a change in government. Then you hear nolle prosequi,” he remarked, suggesting that some suspects were relying on political turnover to escape prosecution.

He questioned whether the administration had fully grasped the scope of the recovery challenge before assuming office. “Were they prepared before coming to office?” he asked. “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.”

Mr. Domelevo called on the Attorney-General’s Office to fast-track its work and deliver tangible results to restore faith in the government’s anti-corruption drive. “We have to change the speed at which we are moving and let people gain confidence that things are indeed moving — and moving very fast,” he urged.

His comments come after a series of briefings by Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine, which have yet to yield significant prosecutorial outcomes. The ORAL task force, of which Mr. Domelevo is a member, had earlier submitted a detailed dossier to the Attorney-General’s Department outlining several high-profile corruption cases uncovered during preliminary investigations.