Mahama can’t be dictated to on ORAL prosecutions – Elikem Kotoko defends president’s approach

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, has cautioned against attempts to dictate to President John Dramani Mahama on how to handle cases emerging from the investigations of the Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL) team.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, Mr Kotoko said the President is fully aware of the appropriate legal procedures to ensure that those implicated are duly prosecuted.

“President Mahama is very meticulous, he is very careful, he is very steady and focused, and it will not take you to dictate for him how this process should go,” he stated.

He further noted that the President is not personally responsible for initiating prosecutions, adding,

“After all, he is not the one in charge; there are processes.”

Mr Kotoko urged the public to give the President space to handle the matter in his own time and manner, stressing that due process must be respected.

His comments followed remarks by former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo, a member of the ORAL team, who criticised the delay in prosecuting individuals implicated in the investigations, describing nine months as “too long for action to be taken.”

Responding, Mr Kotoko said, “Mr Domelevo also knows the legal processes himself; it can be frustrating sometimes.”

He added that the growing public pressure for swift prosecutions reflects widespread belief that corruption was rampant under the previous administration.

“The pressure to speed up prosecutions shows that Ghanaians were very convinced that the past administration was more than corrupt and want to see prosecution,” he said.

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