Private legal practitioner and lead member of the Operations Recover All Loots (ORAL), Martin Kpebu has disclosed that the final report of the investigative committee will be submitted to President John Mahama next week. He emphasized that significant progress has been made on the report.
While he could not specify the exact number of pages the report would contain, Kpebu assured the public that the document was being thoroughly reviewed.
Kpebu revealed that ORAL has received over 800 complaints and petitions regarding alleged financial mismanagement and corruption. However, he clarified that not all of these are full-fledged complaints backed by concrete evidence.
“ORAL cases are many. And some are still even coming in. So if I mention a figure today, tomorrow that figure will change…. some other information and petitions may be received to change what I mentioned.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
He stressed the distinction between actual complaints and mere suggestions or concerns raised by the public. He explained;
“It’s not everything we receive which is a full complaint with details of wrongdoing. Sometimes a citizen puts together an email to say, ‘Look, I think based on XYZ, you should look at this company or this state institution. So, some of them, quite a lot of them, are not specific complaints that Mr. X has looted government funds, no. Rather, it’s based on everything the citizen is saying—he thinks that we should investigate this institution or that person.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
Breakdown of Cases Yet to Be Released
When asked about the dominant types of looting cases, Kpebu declined to provide specifics, stating;
“That one I can’t give. We’ll have to wait for the final report. Otherwise, I’ll be riding ahead of myself. We’ve been given a job by President JM—so we have to give him the report. And then from there, we can drill into the specifics.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
Similarly, he refrained from disclosing the number of individuals implicated in the report.
Kpebu acknowledged that analyzing the complaints has been a difficult and time-consuming process due to the volume of cases and the need for accuracy. He asserted;
“… As I mentioned, a lot more have been coming in. Analyzing one key complaint takes a lot of hours. You have to analyze, reanalyze, and be sure what you are saying. The report and the complaint have been brought to you based on your reading of it and based on other facts you see in the public, etc. Is it checking out? Is it not checking out? What do you need to look at? Do you need to see further evidence?”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
He emphasized that every claim must be thoroughly vetted before being included in the final report.
Threats and Criticisms Faced by ORAL
When asked if he had received threats since the launch of ORAL, Kpebu stated;
“Threats? Is a well no. Not threats personally – there are no threats. It’s a democracy. People were raising concerns about… the mandate of the committee, raising issues of illegality.”
“But when the Whistleblower’s Act was read over and over, I think eventually, we all accepted that this is within the realm of the Whistleblower’s Act, where the Act allows people to report to the President.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
He elaborated on the legal basis of the initiative, pointing out that the Whistleblower Act provides multiple channels through which citizens can report wrongdoing. He explained;
“The Whistleblower’s Act was passed in the 2000s. At that time, there were already police, there was a Serious Fraud Office, etc. We passed the Act to say that if you see something, say something. And that you can say that something to your head of family, to an elder in your family, to an MP, to the President of the Republic, etc. And so that’s what the President rolled out by bringing this committee.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
Looking ahead, Kpebu affirmed his commitment to continuing his advocacy for accountability, even after ORAL concludes its work.
‘I’m a citizen. So, it means that when ORAL is done —already, I’m on ORAL, but I still talk. So we’ll be holding government accountable.’’
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
He eulogized President John Mahama’s commitment to press freedom and contrasted it with the past administration. He said;
“Thankfully, this is one President who is very tolerant. We all know that press freedom was better under JM and the NDC than under the NPP. Except In 2018, we did so well in Africa and we hosted the ceremony here.”
Martin Kpebu, Private Legal Practitioner
He asserted that President Mahama’s leadership allowed for greater democratic expression compared to the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government. Martin Kpebu’s revelations indicate that the ORAL investigation has been an extensive and complex process, with over 800 complaints and petitions received.
While he remained tight-lipped about the specifics, he assured the public that the final report will soon be presented to President Mahama. Despite facing criticisms, Kpebu maintained that the committee operates within legal boundaries and reaffirmed his dedication to ensuring accountability in governance.
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