[ 2016-07-14 ]

Former President Jerry John Rawlings

Rawlings $2m ‘bribe’: Ask Totobi Kwakye, Obed Asamoah – Owusu Bempah
The Communications Director of the National
Democratic Party (NDP) Ernest Owusu Bempah has
said former National Security Coordinator, Kofi
Totobi Kwakye and Dr Obed Asamoah must answer for
the whereabouts of the $2 million ‘bribe’
donated by ex Nigerian military dictator Gen. Sani
Abacha to Ex President Rawlings.

According to him, these two personalities who
were very powerful during the Rawlings regime are
the best people to speak to what happened to that
money which generated a huge controversy.

Ex President J.J Rawlings has in a recent
interview with Nigeria’s Guardian Newspaper,
revealed that he received a cash amount of $
2million dollars from his then Nigerian
counterpart late Sani Abacha.

The issue became a big scandal in Ghana following
which the then NPP Minority in Parliament pushed
for an independent board of enquiry to investigate
the matter, but was turned down by the then
Speaker of Parliament, Justice D.F Annan.

Mr Rawlings in the Newspaper interview stated
that he was impressed about his late colleague
Gen. Sani Abacha since he never asked him for the
said amount nor sought his support financially.

He further added that his colleagues in
government knew about the issue and didn’t know
why he should be keeping these things secret.

“Moreover, I didn’t have any personal account
to be putting these things into anyway. Besides we
needed to use them for some national needs.”

However commenting on the issue on Peace FM’s
Kokrokoo show Wednesday, Kwaku Baako Jnr who broke
the story eighteen (18) years ago in the then
‘The Guide Newspaper ‘maintained that ex
President Rawlings received $5million and not
$2million, adding that the former Ghanaian leader
has been forced to come out publicly on the issue
now because he fears an imminent disgrace that is
to befall him.

“I suspect that Mr Rawlings has made this
admission and disclosure because the current
Nigerian President Buhari is undertaken a probe in
corrupt activities in the past. Names are popping
up…incidents are popping up. I hear the Nigerian
Authorities will be consolidating all those things
and make them public, I strongly suspect that our
former President Rawlings is seeking to make a
preemptive strike ahead of that official
disclosure. It will be recalled that when this
bribe issue came up, the Nigerian government at
the time led by MaJ. General Abdul Salam Abubakar
came out to deny that no money had come from the
Nigerian government or leader to Mr Rawlings, and
somehow it effectively killed the matter. For
Rawlings to come back 18 years down the line and
make this revelation is interesting.”

But speaking to sit-in-host Akwesi Nsiah on Si Me
So on Kasapa 102.5 FM, Ernest Owusu Bempah stated
that Mr Rawlings only received the money on behalf
of Ghana but later had nothing to do with it.

“As a party we also know something; we’ll not
sit down for people to tarnish the image of ex
President Rawlings who we the NDP see as an
inspiration to the party, whose ideals in politics
which is probity, accountability and social
justice has been incorporated into our party
constitution.

“What at all is the issue with what ex
President Rawlings has revealed. He’s indicated
that that money was to help develop Ghana at a
time we were in a transitional period from
military rule to a democracy. That money was not
Rawlings personal money it was for Ghana.

“I’m giving Ghanaians a lead…they should
call Totobi Kwakye, some Ghanaians are saying that
Rawlings took bribe, if they want to know exactly
what happened to that money, Totobi Kwakye and
Obed Asamuah, who are gurus in NDC right now must
be questioned , that is what we know as a party.
Rawlings has not received bribe and he’ll never
take bribe. If Kweku Baako claims he’s a senior
journalist and is accusing Rawlings of taking
bribe, he should rather go at the two leading NDC
stalwarts. If he’ not being pushed he should go
ahead and ask Totobi Kwakye about the whereabouts
of the money. Rawlings has not touched any money.

“Do you know that ex President Rawlings has
kept the briefcase that contained the money until
date for evidential purposes? Indeed he still has
that bag. Find out who Totobi was in the Rawlings
regime at that time. Rawlings is not corrupt,”
Owusu Bempah fumed.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the two statesmen to
speak to the issues have proved futile.

Source - kasapafmonline.com

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