Ghanaian political party Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) has signed a petition against former Ghanaian president Jerry Rawlings over an alleged $5 million gift he received from late Nigerian Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha back in 1998.
GCPP petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in Ghana to launch an investigation into the former President’s claim.
Flag bearer of the party, Dr Henry Lartey, accused Rawlings of lying to Ghanaians about the amount of money he received from Abacha. According to Lartey, Rawlings received $5 million and not $2 million as he had claimed in a recent interview.
Lartey while speaking at a news conference on Tuesday said: ”We will not allow anyone who is corrupt to get away with it, even if you are the president of Ghana. If we start from the top, it will trickle down. We are going to CHRAJ with our lawyers and he (Rawlings) will have to answer all these questions.
”No vendetta or whatsoever, I actually respected him to a point – he disappointed me and he has disappointed all West Africans. It is a sad thing that a man of probity and accountability must come to tell us that he took $2 million cash (from Abacha).
”Did he take it on behalf of Ghanaians? Who signed for the money? What was the money used for…? Did he really receive $2 million? Are we being lied to?”
Rawlings had previously said in an interview with Guardian that he received $2 million and not $5 million as alleged from the late military ruler.
