Ghana Intensifies Corruption Crackdown: GH¢1.5 Billion Frozen and Special Tribunals Approved to Speed Up Trials

The Ghanaian government, through its "Operation Recover All Loot" (ORAL) initiative, has significantly intensified its anti-corruption efforts, resulting in the freezing of approximately GH¢1.5 billion in assets and the arrest of 140 individuals. Government spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu revealed that these actions, spearheaded by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the Attorney General’s Department, include 27 completed dockets and 40 additional cases currently under review. This sweeping campaign aims to address systemic financial misappropriation and recover public funds suspected to have been illegally acquired by high-profile figures and former government officials.

Central to this crackdown is a recent, startling audit report that uncovered GH¢21.35 billion in suspicious claims against the state. The audit, conducted in collaboration with international firms EY and PwC, identified "systemic plunder," including GH¢89.4 million in fictitious debts linked to the One-District One-Factory (1D1F) initiative and GH¢10.5 million falsely recorded as paid to a non-existent bank account. In tandem with these findings, former Health Minister Kwaku Agyemang-Manu was arrested and interrogated regarding the controversial 2021 Sputnik V vaccine procurement. The investigation into the deal, which involved inflated prices and a lack of parliamentary approval, has concluded, and the Attorney General is expected to file formal criminal charges shortly.

Prominent political figures have also found themselves in the crosshairs of investigative agencies. EOCO has frozen nearly GH¢50 million from the accounts of Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Wontumi is currently facing trial for allegedly permitting illegal mining at the Samreboi concession, with an Accra High Court set to rule on his "no-case" submission on March 16, 2026. Other high-profile individuals, including former Signals Bureau boss Adu Boahen and former NSA Executive Director Gifty Oware-Mensah, have similarly had significant assets frozen as part of ongoing financial crime investigations.

In response to public frustration over the perceived slow pace of judicial proceedings, the Cabinet has approved the reintroduction of special tribunals designed to expedite corruption and illicit wealth cases. Felix Kwakye Ofosu emphasized that while the executive respects judicial independence, the current delays in the court system necessitate structural reforms to ensure accountability. As these tribunals begin operation, the government has pledged stricter verification measures for future public payments to prevent the recurrence of the GH¢8.1 billion in irregular claims rejected during the recent audit. The state maintains that recovered assets will be permanently confiscated upon successful court convictions, signaling a long-term commitment to restoring fiscal discipline.