The Majority Leader In Parliament, Papa Owusu Ankomah, has called on the Minority to impress on ex-President Rawlings to publish in the media his assets at the time he left office.
He said facilities available to retired Presidents as contained in the Green Street report were clear and unambiguous. Papa Ankomah was speaking to “The Evening News” about claims by the Minority that ex-President Rawlings was entitled to more than one vehicle. He said the Green Street report did not indicate that ex-President Rawlings was entitled to more than one vehicle.
He said “The report was brought to Parliament and after a lengthy debate, it was approved. I call that Parliament recommended more than one vehicle to the former President”. Papa Ankomah said the manner in which ex-President Rawlings conducts himself in recent times “does not encourage the government to do something more than he is expressly provided for under the law in terms of privilege”.
He did not agree with the argument by the Minority that a fully equipped office, provision of security guard and a cook imply that vehicles would be provided for their use. Papa Ankomah said “The contention by the Minority has no basis at all because security guards and the cook are to be paid by the state”. Papa Ankomah argued that securing the nation against threats to its stability to enable the citizenry to carry their economic activities in safety constituted a critical part of good governance.
Papa Ankomah, who is NPP MP for Sekondi said the statement issued by the government after the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) had interrogated ex-President Rawlings was to let the public know about the subject matter that was discussed with the security agencies. He said the NPP government deserves to be congratulated for not interfering in ex-President Rawlings’ interrogations by the security agencies on the statements he made in Kumasi, which most Ghanaians considered worrisome.
He said “The investigations ought not to have been seen as any harassment of ex-President Rawlings since the security agencies did their work as required of them”. Papa Ankomah said after submitting the report to the government, it felt the public was entitled to know some of the issues that formed the subject matter of the interrogation. He argued that “It earlier became public knowledge that the ex-President was being quizzed by the security agencies and the government ought to tell the people what it is about so that they do not speculate”.
He said it is of public interest for Ghanaians, for instance, to make their own assessment of how ex-President Rawlings, who claimed not to be rich, paid ?500 million in customs duties for four Toyota Land cruisers worth 136,200 dollars imported from Antwerp, all registered in his name. Papa Ankoma said convincing answers are yet to be provided on how the ex-President is financing the education of his children in expensive universities overseas.
