This government has successfully turned prosecutions into performances – Kwesi Botchway Jnr

Private legal practitioner Kwesi Botchway Jnr has taken a swipe at the government over the handling of the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative, describing it as a failed legal process that has been reduced to a political exercise.

Speaking on JoyNews’ AM on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Botchway Jnr said ORAL is “clearly a matter of law” but accused the government of mismanaging it and turning prosecutions into political actions instead of serious legal work.

He argued that the initiative, which was presented as a strong anti-corruption agenda, has fallen short of its stated purpose.

“This government has performed abysmally regarding ORAL. This government has successfully turned prosecutions into performances. This government has clearly turned justice into a tool for convenience,” he stated.

Botchway Jnr recalled that while in opposition, the current government made bold public allegations that officials of the previous administration had looted state funds. However, he said that almost a year after taking office, there is little to show in terms of solid prosecutions to support those claims.

“Fast forward, it’s almost a year now. The number of people lying in court, in my humble and respected opinion, lacks the weight of evidence to secure any conviction,” he said, casting doubt on the strength of the cases before the courts.

He also criticised what he described as trial by public opinion, accusing the government of declaring people guilty in the public space before their cases are properly examined by the courts. According to him, this approach undermines due process and damages confidence in the justice system.

“Even before this government proceeded to court, they organised stage performances to pronounce these persons guilty. They decided to shape public perception, label these people as criminals, label them as thieves, and label them as enemies of the state,” Botchway Jnr said.

The lawyer further accused the Attorney General of withdrawing cases involving persons linked to the governing party, despite earlier assurances that billions of dollars would be recovered. He mentioned the Saglemi Housing case, which involves the current Governor of the Bank of Ghana, as well as the prosecution of former COCOBOD Chief Executive Stephen Opuni.

Botchway Jnr estimated that the cases withdrawn so far involve about 10 billion dollars of public funds and questioned whether ORAL has become “a tool for political convenience” rather than a genuine effort to fight corruption…CONTINUE MORE READING>>>