Prominent investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has raised serious concerns over the government’s mass discontinuation of court cases involving officials and associates of the previous Mahama administration. In a critiquing post on social media, he argues that the move undermines President Mahama’s commitment to fight corruption and sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
He remarked that a president who has vowed to reset Ghana and hold corrupt officials accountable, this decision represents a troubling departure from his campaign promises and he also asserts that it stands in stark contrast to Mahama’s own previous actions, when his previous administration prosecuted and jailed party members involved in the GYEEDA corruption scandal.
Azure contends that the mass case withdrawals send a clear message to NPP officials who may face prosecution under the Mahama government: “If you are charged, drag the case as long as possible, and if your party returns to power, the charges will be dropped.” This move, he argues, defeats accountability and weakens Ghana’s anti-corruption efforts.
Using the Ambulance Procurement Scandal to make a point, Mr. Azure highlights the ambulance procurement scandal as a prime example of how Ghana’s justice system is failing to hold key actors accountable. He reveals that while businessman Richard Jakpa and former Deputy Finance Minister Ato Forson were prosecuted and later acquitted, the case itself was not a fabrication. The scandal was real. He cited his documentary “Grounded Wheels”, Azure uncovered evidence that the imported ambulances were substandard and unfit for use.
Azure likens Mahama’s actions to those of former President Nana Akufo-Addo, whom he famously dubbed the “Chief Clearing Agent” for repeatedly exonerating government officials accused of corruption. “I nicknamed Akufo-Addo the Chief Clearing Agent, and Mahama seems to relish that title’, he stated. He further urged the government to give clear and justifiable reasons to Ghanaians why party people standing trial have been exonerated.
Operation Recover All Loot(ORAL) cannot succeed when its implementers are engaged in Operation Clear All Looters(OCAL)”, he cautioned. The government cannot claim to be implementing “Operation Recover All Loot” (ORAL) while simultaneously engaging in “Operation Clear All Looters” (OCAL).