The Attorney General-designate, Dr Dominic Ayine, has defended the legality of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
He described it as a constitutionally grounded effort to promote accountability in public office.
Speaking in response to concerns raised about the legitimacy of the initiative during his appearance at Parliament’s Appointments Committee on Monday, January 13, Dr Ayine clarified its legal basis and role within the framework of the country’s Constitution.
“ORAL is constitutional. ORAL is legal. In fact, the fact that it is a non-legal body doesn’t mean that it is illegal. There is a distinction between non-legality and illegality,” he stated.
Dr Ayine explained that ORAL is not established under the Criminal and Other Offenses Procedure Act (Act 30), which only outlines procedures for criminal trials and the handling of evidence in such cases.
Dr. Ayine explained that ORAL aligns with the Constitution’s preamble, which underscores the value of accountability as a fundamental principle of governance.
According to him, ORAL’s primary goal is to recover resources unlawfully acquired by politically exposed individuals or public officials who have misused their positions for personal gain.
“The Constitution commits us to accountability, and ORAL seeks to exact that accountability from those who have used or misused public office to loot public resources, whether in the form of property, money, or other intangible resources,” he said.
Addressing scepticism about the initiative, Dr Ayine clarified that being a non-legal body does not render ORAL illegal.