Former President Jerry John Rawlings has finally opened up on why he dismissed his former aide Victor Smith, expressing utter disappointment in the late president Atta Mills for providing cover for the former aide.
Mr. Smith who later became Ghana’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom had reportedly said that he was relieved of his post because he had then supported then Mr. John Mahama as Prof. Atta Mills’ running mate.
He was dismissed via a text message in 2008 by Mr Rawlings.
But addressing the 38th June 4 Uprising anniversary on Sunday at Wa, former president Rawlings who is the leader of the 1979 revolution gave a different reason.
He claimed Victor Smith was dismissed for diverting funds meant for Prof. Atta Mills to run the National Democratic Congress.
He said the act was orchestrated on his blindside until “somebody finally called me that this is what is going on—they know me, they want to give me the money, and I can pass it on and not give it to Victor Smith.”
Mr. Rawlings revealed, “But Victor Smith is saying that he will take it to the Professor because I’m not the one going to be the candidate…”
“Eventually, the contribution did not even come. I did not receive any contribution from them, through Mills, through Smith or directly or through the persons who came to see me also. And I don’t believe Prof. Mills received any money from that place.”
According to Mr. Rawlings, he was disgusted when Victor Smith turned his arsenal against him, and was spreading falsehood but the late Mills kept quite when he knew the truth.
“And yet when the time came to pour poison on me started, this secretary of mine was telling the world on radio stations that contributions were coming for a certain nationalistic duty and he had stopped it and diverted it to the flagbearer.
“In other words, he had stopped it from coming to me. I was disgusted that this guy would make such a story. But you know the one who angered me the most, our Professor Mills who knew the truth but kept quiet for this poison to burn me. As if I was fraudulent,” he added.
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