- Attorney-General Dominic Ayine denies allegations of plea bargaining in ORAL cases
- Says no docket has been compromised and no backdoor deals have been struck
- ORAL prosecutions are being led by the Deputy Attorney-General and the DPP
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, has dismissed allegations that his office is engaging in backroom deals with individuals under investigation under the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative.
Mr. Ayine described claims of plea bargaining or secret arrangements as false, stressing that all cases referred to his office are being handled strictly in accordance with the law. He gave the assurance while briefing the Vice President, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, during her working visit to the Ministry of Justice.
Responding to growing public concerns, the Attorney-General said accusations that his office is compromising ORAL prosecutions are unfounded. “There are claims that we are cutting deals in ORAL cases. Your Excellency, ORAL is progressing very, very well. The prosecutions, led by my deputy and the Director of Public Prosecutions, are going very well,” he stated.
Mr. Ayine insisted that no case file submitted to his office has been altered or compromised. “I want to put it on record—and the National Intelligence Bureau will confirm—that no docket brought to this office has been compromised in any way,” he said. “No deal or plea arrangement has been entered into with anyone who has committed an offence within the scope of the ORAL cases we have received from the NIB and are prosecuting.”
He disclosed that 16 case dockets are currently under review and are undergoing thorough scrutiny before any further action is taken. According to him, where investigations are found to be weak, his office does not hesitate to request additional evidence. “When we identify loopholes in investigations, we refer them back to the investigative authorities for more evidence, as we are currently doing in the National Service prosecution,” he explained.
The Attorney-General used the occasion to reassure the public of the government’s commitment to accountability. “I want to assure Ghanaians that no plea negotiations have been entered into with anyone implicated under ORAL. People are being held accountable, and they will continue to be held accountable under the ORAL programme,” he said.
Beyond the ORAL initiative, Mr. Ayine also raised concern about what he described as a growing surge in land compensation claims against the state, warning that the trend poses a significant financial risk to the country.
“There is a tsunami of land compensation cases hitting the courts against the Republic, and the figures involved are mind-blowing,” he said, noting that some claims run as high as GH¢500 million. He explained that many claimants rely on archival documents to argue that compensation was not paid during the colonial era—claims that often succeed even at the Supreme Court.
Mr. Ayine said preliminary estimates suggest the total value of such claims could run into billions of Ghana cedis, describing the situation as deeply troubling. He revealed that he has directed the Solicitor-General to prepare a comprehensive brief for the President on the issue.
“I have instructed the Solicitor-General to put together a detailed brief for the President on the land compensation tsunami we are currently facing,” he added.
