ORAL Data Included “Garbage” Entries, Domelevo Says

Former Auditor-General Daniel Domelevo has publicly admitted that during his tenure, the ORAL team collected submissions and complaints without carrying out proper verification, leading to what he described as “garbage” data entries. 

What He Said

Domelevo told Joy News’ PM Express on 22 October 2025 that the ORAL figures cited by the government were essentially a raw summation of all complaints submitted — without investigation or filtering. He said:

“We collected all the information … including the garbage.” 

He added that while the figure of USD 21 billion was used publicly, it was only a cumulative total of complaints, and could shrink or grow after proper auditing or court proceedings. 

Implications for ORAL’s Credibility

• The admission raises questions about the reliability of ORAL’s data and the publicised figures.
• It underlines that submitting a complaint was enough to be counted — even without evidence or verification.
• According to Domelevo, winning a court ruling does not guarantee recovery of assets — thus even perfect numbers would not mean full recovery.  

Official Reaction & Context

The ORAL initiative was launched by the Ghanaian government with the goal of tracking and recovering alleged stolen or mis-used public funds. It has featured prominently in government communications.

In light of Domelevo’s comments, critics are saying the programme’s headline figures may be misleading and could undermine trust in public anti-corruption efforts.

What Happens Next

• Legal and forensic audits of the ORAL data may be needed to ascertain which complaints are credible and how much can realistically be recovered.
• Government must clarify how much of the alleged USD 21 billion figure is substantiated by verified investigations or court judgements.
• Public debate is likely to increase around the effectiveness and transparency of ORAL’s process and outcomes.

Bottom Line

While the ORAL programme remains a flagship anti-corruption tool, the former Auditor-General’s disclosure that a substantial portion of the data may be unverified raises serious concerns about the methodology and public communication of the initiative.

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