Former President Jerry John Rawlings (left), Felix Kwakye Ofosu (right)
A former Deputy Information Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu has taken Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to the cleaners for accusing him [Felix] of purchasing two mansions at a staggering $3 million-dollars.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu believed the former President should have exhibited some form of civility by calling him over the matter for his (Felix's) confirmation or denial when he (Rawlings) stumbled upon the information than to draw his own conclusion and pass judgement.
“...You cannot say you are an elderly person and yet when you are informed that someone has done something wrong, you won’t even investigate the matter thoroughly before commenting openly, accusing the person wrongly just like that....
“Because he is an elderly person whose words are taken as the gospel truth, that is the reason why he should have been mindful of his utterances in order not to malign someone on the basis of allegation without proof and that is why Ghanaians ought to be disappointed,” he stated.
'Small Little Character'
Nearly a year ago, the NDC founder jabbed a member of his own party for buying two mansions worth 3 million US Dollars, when delivering his key address at the 2018 June 4th celebration which took place at the Madina Social Welfare Centre in Accra.
According to Mr Rawlings, a deputy minister who served in the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC administration, bought two mansions worth $3 million; each building cost $1.5 million from the property owner in Accra after the NDC lost the 2016 general election.
The former president referred to the minister in question as a ‘small little character'. He went on to explain that when the minister paid for the house in cash, the seller was shocked to the core.
Hard Cash
“What did this small little character do? After we lost the 2016, I said he went and paid cash for two mansions,” Rawlings fired at the 39th Anniversary of the June 4 Uprising.
He said “one for himself and one for his wife and of course, the man who was selling the properties that he has built for sale should have been happy; isn’t it, because he was making profit.”
Sad Situation
However, Mr. Rawlings, who failed to disclose the identity of the said deputy minister, said that “he (property owner) was very sad and he was very angry. Why do you think he was angry? Because he has sweated to build these houses to sell for profit and instead of the money to come into his account or being given a cheque, he was being given physical cash!”
“What that meant was that he had to spend the whole night counting the $1.5 million each times two, the $3 million. Do you get me?” he rhetorically asked.
But speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie on Okay FM's "Ade Akye Abia" morning show, the former government appointee who stridently denied the accusation, was of the view that Rawlings’ narrative of the $3 million-dollar mansion was in bad taste and should have rather emanated from a small fry.
"What he did (the allegations Rawlings put out) should have rather come from a young man so that he (Rawlings) can chastise and correct that person for drawing hasty conclusion based on an allegation and not the other way around...We must take note that we are doing politics and so we must be mindful of what we say; it does not mean that due to politics, we must fabricate stories against others because you are an elderly person”, he jabbed.
To him, as a former head of state who has served the country at the highest office for 19 years, Mr Rawlings should know how important investigations are to certain issues, especially bordering on the integrity of others.
“After all, as a former President who has served this country for 19 years and even before the 19 years, he had attempted two coup d'états, and so for such a person, he should know the significance of investigating matters before action is taken because someone’s life is on the line...
“....Therefore, should someone even snitch on somebody, you have to investigate the matter before you comment on it. Like i earlier indicated, the allegation has no basis; it is not true”, he added.
'Even If'... I Haven't Committed A Crime
Kwakye Ofosu, who appeared at a loss why his name is captured in the investigative books of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, pointed out that supposing without admitting he even bought those two mansions, it would not amount to the perpetration of a crime since no law in the country forbids people from owning mansions.
“First of all, they have alleged that I have bought a mansion; even if i have bought a mansion, I have flouted no law because there is no law that stops anybody from buying a mansion but as I have said, I have not bought any mansion but they have my name penned down as having bought a mansion....
“I am asking that didn’t Martin Amidu and his team know the person who bought that mansion before they put my name down? If they don’t have a confirmation from the person who made the allegation, why have they added my name to the list? So clearly, this is a huge joke which must be thrown out because it does not make sense; it is baseless and pure lies," he argued.
