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The President-elect, Mr John Mahama, has explained that the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative is not a witch hunt but rather an initiative that calls for concerted effort to tackle corruption.
He said it was designed to gather evidence to aid in the prosecution of corrupt officials by designated state institutions to ensure accountability and restore public trust.
Mr Mahama said it formed part of his administration's broader commitment to transparency and good governance.
“I announced the preparatory committee and I think people are misunderstanding it; we are receiving information on things that are going wrong; a lot of corruption scandals, some send me text on my phone and others call me, so we want a focal point where all the evidence is gathered,” he added.
The President-elect further said that the ORAL Preparatory Committee, which had been set up solely to receive evidence, was not going to replace established state institutions clothed with the mandate to investigate and prosecute crimes.
He said the team, which was working pro bono, would not come at any cost to the taxpayer, and reiterated that its purpose was only to gather evidence and hand them over to relevant authorities for investigations and prosecution.
Mr Mahama gave the clarification during a meeting with the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Miriam Montrat, who called to congratulate him on his electoral victory at his private office in Accra yesterday.
Mr Mahama outlined his administration's priorities to include investing in technology and agriculture value chain, with focus on agro-processing, saying "it is not enough to produce and sell at the expense of the farmer".
To address challenges facing the National Buffer Stock, which he said was not functioning properly, Mr Mahama proposed involving the private sector to mop up excess produce.
On the mining sector, he stressed the need to adopt technology that would help in reclaiming mined lands.
The President-elect called for deepening of collaboration of the Canadian government for a successful tenure of his government.
"We have great respect and relationship with Canada because of your management," Mr Mahama said acknowledging the strong ties between the two nations.
He expressed appreciation for Canadian investments in Ghana, particularly in the Northern Region, through a CEDA initiative, as well as the health sector.
For her part, the Canadian High Commissioner stressed the need for a direct flight from Canada to Ghana, citing its potential to boost tourism, trade and investment between the two countries.
She also mentioned security, women empowerment, food security and agriculture, and the creation of a conducive investment destination as some of the areas the two countries could explore together.
On women empowerment, Ms Montrat highlighted Canada's support for initiatives to promote gender equality and women's rights in the country.
She expressed admiration for the country’s first female Vice-President-elect, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
Ms Montrat also emphasised the importance of a 24/7 Economy, which she said could help promote economic growth, create jobs and improve living standards.
She, however, expressed concern over the non-payment of international companies by the current government, urging the incoming administration to address the issue promptly.
“There are lots of opportunities, but the environment needs to be conducive,” Ms Montrat said.
She also entreated the President-elect to assure foreign companies that their investments in the country would be protected.
