General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has urged the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to resist mounting pressure for rushed prosecutions under the government’s anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).
Speaking at the 5th Annual Conference of the NDC Lawyers Association, Mr. Kwetey cautioned that the party must avoid repeating the mistakes of the 1979 anti-corruption purge led by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which, he said, left a legacy of resentment in parts of the country, including the Ashanti Region.
“The ORAL, back in 1979, was called ‘Let the Blood Flow.’ That same passionate quest for blood is back — not in the literal sense of firing squads — but in calls for harsh punishment,” he stated. “Back then, the universal cry for blood overrode due process, and the consequences are still with us politically.”
Mr. Kwetey made the remarks in response to Attorney General Ayine’s recent admission of being under pressure to accelerate prosecutions of individuals allegedly involved in corruption.
He warned that hasty prosecutions, even if well-intentioned, could backfire and erode the political goodwill the NDC currently enjoys.
“I am grateful that on December 7 we were able to win such a massive victory — something Kwame Nkrumah dreamt of — winning a minimum two-thirds in Parliament. We achieved that despite decades of blame for executing people who were innocent,” he noted.
Emphasizing the need for proper legal process, the NDC General Secretary declared: “No more going for blood for the sake of blood. Go for blood only when truly necessary. Due diligence must be done. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Mr. Kwetey also encouraged members of the NDC Lawyers Association to uphold justice and support the fight against corruption in a manner that strengthens, rather than weakens, the rule of law.
The NDC’s ORAL initiative aims to recover assets and funds allegedly misappropriated by public officials and to prosecute those found culpable. However, internal and external calls for swift action have sparked debate over the balance between justice and political expediency.
, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has urged the Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, to resist mounting pressure for rushed prosecutions under the government’s anti-corruption initiative, Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL).){kind=link}