Senior Presidential Staffer, Rosemond Obeng, has urged the public to exercise patience as the government pursues justice in corruption-related cases uncovered through the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, insisting that the process is yielding results despite growing demands for swift prosecutions.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, December 30, Madam Obeng acknowledged public frustration over the pace of prosecutions but stressed that justice must follow due process.
“For this government, with issues of ORAL, people are expecting to see people behind bars,” she said.
“We promised that those who looted the state and cared less about ordinary Ghanaians would face justice. But justice is a process.”
She described the cases uncovered so far as unprecedented, noting that investigations had revealed lifestyle excesses that could not be justified by known sources of income.
“We’ve not seen them before, cases whereby people who were being paid about 5000 a month could afford over 60 designer bags, could live in a $1 million home, could live a certain lifestyle that was not there for them before. So people see what has gone on, and they want people to face the full rigor of the law,” she said.
Madam Obeng appealed to the judiciary to treat the cases with urgency, describing them as special and historic, while maintaining that ORAL has already achieved a significant milestone by exposing widespread corruption.
“Even if not for ORAL, we would not have found out what had happened,” she stated. “ORAL has exposed the rot. It is a journey, and we will make sure that those who looted public funds pay back the money.”
Responding to suggestions that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) may have overstated its promises on accountability, Madam Obeng rejected claims of exaggeration, insisting that the findings so far have only scratched the surface.
“We did not exaggerate anything,” she said. “What we suspected is exactly what we have uncovered. In fact, what has come out so far is very little compared to what is still being investigated.”
She disclosed that some suspects are already before the courts, others are expected to receive verdicts in the coming months, while additional cases are likely to be filed soon.
Calling for public patience, she reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accountability, adding, “People should just exercise a little patience. I want to see people behind bars.”
