The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has given the assurance that the government is committed to retrieving all looted all state properties.

In an interview on Tv3 and monitored by GhanaWeb on Friday, December 19, 2025, he reflected on his role of Chairman of the Operation Recover All Loot Committee, he said that the Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine Akuritinga Ayine is working tirelessly to ensure that all found culpable face the full riogours of the law.

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“The Attorney General does not want to go to court and give anyone a chance to escape on some technicality or sloppy investigation. He ensures the evidence is solid, making it very difficult for anyone to evade justice,” he remarked.

Touching on recoveries so far, Ablakwa revealed that. “Hundreds of houses have been confiscated, numerous accounts have been frozen, and assets are being secured with support from investigative bodies including IOKO, BNI, Shiraj, and OSP.” He emphasized that if these assets are auctioned, “significant funds will be retrieved for the taxpayer.”

The foreign minister reassured Ghanaians that ORAL remains on track, even if the process appears slow.

“Yes, people want swift justice, but the wheels of justice grind slowly. What matters is the commitment, and I can assure you, our commitment has not faltered,” he said.

Ablakwa also stated that the initiative serves as both accountability for previous officeholders and a cautionary message to current leaders.

“The president keeps telling us, I will not save you, I will not protect you, I will not be a clearing agent. See what is going on, learn from it, and conduct yourselves with accountability, transparency, and integrity,” he said.

He warned of the broader implications of failure, noting that ORAL’s success is crucial to the survival of Ghana’s democracy.

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“ORAL must succeed because we have no choice. If ORAL fails, we are finished, and the very survival of our democracy is in peril,” he said.

ORAL was formed by President Mahama to combat corruption and state capture as part of the government's efforts to promote accountability.

In February 2025, the president handed over the ORAL report to the Attorney General with a directive to immediately begin investigations into the committee’s findings.

He noted that the findings of the ORAL report call for sober reflection on the massive financial leakages that should have been invested in education, healthcare, infrastructure and social development.

Presenting a summary of the findings, Okudzeto Ablakwa, said the value of thirty-six (36) financial cases reviewed is estimated at $20.49 billion.

The committee received 2,417 complaints in total, including 44 petitions received directly, 924 emails, and 1,493 phone calls.

JKB/AM

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