Rawlings received $5m gift from a thief - Alhaji Bature

Contrary to claims that he received $2 million which was used for a nationalistic project, emerging evidence indicate that that the former President of Ghana received $5 million.

Managing Editor of the Al Hajj Newspaper, Alhaji Bature Iddrissu on TuesdayJune 6, 2017 disclosed that the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Jerry John Rawlings received $5 million dollars from Nigerian military leader Sani Abacha , who served as head of state between 1993 and 1998.

“He confessed to me that the amount he received was $5 million dollars and not $2 million. He openly told me this and I dare tell him that he received stolen money from a thief. How much was he as head of State receiving at the time as salary that he could gift you such an amount? What work did Rawlings do for Abacha that he gifted him that amount”, he asked on Adom TV on Monday

He said the amount was the cause of the rift between he (Rawlings) and the former National Chairman of the party Dr Obed Asamoah leading to his breaking away from the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).

“Rawlings is dishonest and corrupt. Corruption is not only about embezzling funds but being untruthful and not morally upright are all ingredients of corruption”, he said.

Mr Rawlings while addressing the 38th anniversary of the 4 June 1979 uprising in Wa, said the son of the “domestication man” – late Dan Lartey – allowed himself to be used by even “crazier” people within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to accuse him (Rawlings) of corruptly gaining $5million from Nigeria’s late dictator Sani Abacha.

Mr Rawlings on Sunday insisted he got only $2million from Mr Abacha, which he used for “nationalistic purposes” and not $5million as alleged by Dr Lartey, flag bearer of the GCPP in the 2016 elections.

In July last year, Dr Lartey threatened to drag Mr Rawlings before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to test his self-acclaimed incorruptibility, saying the former military ruler lied to Ghanaians and Africa about the money he got from Mr Abacha.

But Alhaji Bature wondered why Rawlings is lying when he confessed to receiving $5 million from the fromer Nigerian dictator.