Senior Presidential Staffer Rosemond Obeng has said that the Mahama administration’s anti-corruption drive is not driven solely by the recovery of stolen funds but is equally focused on securing convictions.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Tuesday, December 30, Ms Obeng explained that while recovering public funds remains important, the Attorney-General’s approach shows a clear determination to ensure alleged offenders face trial and possible punishment.
According to her, the Attorney-General recently revealed that a suspect had offered to pay about GH¢22 million to settle a case, but the state insisted on pursuing prosecution instead.
“The style of the Attorney-General, he’s looking more like conviction,” she said.
“Somebody wanted to pay about 22 million Ghana cedis for a crime they committed, but he wants the person to go to trial. So I think it’s a bit intertwined; it will differ from case to case. However, we are interested in making sure that Ghanaians get the justice they are seeking so much, and that corporates are also punished.”
Ms Obeng noted that the government’s flagship anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), has already exposed significant wrongdoing, even though the public may be impatient to see swift prosecutions.
She acknowledged growing calls for arrests and convictions but stressed that justice is a process that must follow due procedure, particularly given the complexity and scale of some of the cases uncovered.
“For this government, people are expecting to see people behind bars. We promised that those who looted state resources would face justice, and we are on course,” she said, adding that ORAL has been instrumental in uncovering unexplained wealth and abuse of public office.
Ms Obeng rejected suggestions that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) exaggerated its campaign promises on accountability, insisting that investigations have so far only scratched the surface of alleged corruption.
She urged the public to exercise patience, assuring that more cases are expected to reach the courts in the coming months, with the ultimate goal of ensuring accountability, recovery of stolen funds, and punishment for wrongdoing.
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