African courts need ‘lie detectors’ – Rawlings

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has said African courts must be fitted with lie detectors in order to ensure that the truth is always established in the courtroom.

This he believes, will enable the courts to prosecute African leaders and citizens who loot the state and deposit them in foreign banks.

“Attaching lie detector tests to courthouses could go a long way in restoring the culture of truthfulness, justice and social stability. Time and money would be saved adjudicating on the issues.

"If only lie detector machines could be attached to the lying mouths of some of these so-called professional journalists and commentators, our society would stay focused and the lift-off in the society will also become inevitable. Any loss of lift will not undermine the stability of our society,” the former military leader Nigerian-based newspaper The Guardian in an interview.

He also called on Western leaders to back their corruption campaigns in Africa with actions.

"The high-level London conference on corruption offers an opportunity not only for countries in Africa and the developing world to revise and enhance their strategies for combating corruption, but also for developed countries whose banks have served as a safe haven for stolen wealth from Africa and elsewhere to repatriate those funds.

"I also implore the international community to join the chorus for the return of the loot, especially to a country like Nigeria while she enjoys the leadership of a proven man of integrity."