ORAL: Gov’t likely to recover only 12.5% of alleged $21 billion loot, says Bright Simons

Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Ghana, predicts that Ghana's Attorney General is unlikely to recover more than 12.5% ($2.6 billion) of the estimated $21 billion lost to financial mismanagement.

He argues that much of the alleged misappropriation highlighted by the ORAL Committee stems from poor fiscal policy rather than recoverable funds.

Key barriers to recovery include monetary policy decisions, overstated claims, opaque government spending, and legally approved expenditures.

Simons recommends stricter oversight, cost-benefit analysis of enforcement efforts, enhanced investigative capacity, and ending perpetual state financial schemes.

Without fundamental reforms, he warns that the government may be chasing “phantom loot” rather than making meaningful recoveries.