Veteran Journalist and Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has urged ex President J. J Rawlings to desist from always wanting to resort to the gods to clear his name whenever his integrity is questioned, and rather use constitutionally mandated bodies such as the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Mr Rawlings who’s the longest serving Head of State of Ghana has dared the Flag bearer of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Dr Henry Lartey who has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), to investigate him over the money he received from late Nigerian President, General Sani Abacha.
Rawlings recently conceded in an interview with Nigeria’s Guardian Newspaper that he received $2 million from General Abacha instead of five million which was reported in the media about two decades ago.
Speaking to some queen mothers who paid a courtesy call on him from the Queenmothers Foundation of Ghana, Mr. Rawlings invited Dr Henry Lartey to settle the matter by going the traditional way of consulting the gods.
“Why are people worried about the level of integrity we’ve tried to maintain? We say we are Christians; we swear on the bible, Muslims on the Koran; I’d like to invite people like him (Lartey) that we go traditional as well… [Let us] invite the white man’s technology (lie detector) to also come and verify the truthfulness, the integrity of my word. And for him [Henry Herbert Lartey] to be simply asked who paid him to do what he did?”
But speaking on Peace FM’s Tuesday, Kwesi Pratt Jnr stated that once Mr Rawlings has admitted to receiving something he should feel free to use the constitutional bodies to put the matter to rest.
“Even the sitting President [Mahama] was hauled before CHRAJ, why not the former President. If President Mahama had said someone wanted to disgrace him and so he’ll not subject himself to the CHRAJ probe what would Ghanaians have said. CHRAJ is there for all Ghanaians, why is it that some people always want to resort to the gods to establish their guilt or otherwise when they are embroiled in controversies. Not every one believes in going to swear at a shrine…that even constitute a trial by ordeal which our laws frown upon. So all we do must be done through lawful process.”
He added: “Ex President Rawlings should back down on his liking to seek intervention from the gods, that is not the prescription of the law. Ex President Kufour while in power, was taken to CHRAJ, same as former Minister of Health and later Transport, Dr Richard Anane and former Minister Dr Sipa Yankey, so what is this craze of Rawlings wanting to always consult the gods.”
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