Whether Rawlings is junior Jesus or junior devil, CHRAJ will prove - GCPP leader

The disqualified presidential candidate of the Great Consolidated Popular Front Party (GCPP) has rebuffed claims by ex-president John Rawlings he is being used as a pawn to denigrate him.

Dr Henry Lartey in a conversation with Myjoyonline.com said the claims are not only unfounded but are insulting to say the least.

The GCPP leader has hauled the ex-president before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice over allegations he (Rawlings) received a $5 million gift from late Nigerian Military leader Sani Abacha.

In 1998, the late Nigerian president was reported to have given his counterpart in Ghana a gift of $5 million, an allegation the NDC government denied at the time.

Some 18 years on, ex-president Rawlings in an interview with Nigeria's Guardian newspaper admitted receiving the gift through the aide of the Nigerian leader but said the amount received was $2 million and not $5 million as reported.

That admission has triggered another controversy in Ghana with Dr Henry Lartey proceeding to CHRAJ and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to file a complaint against the ex-president.

But the ex-president is unhappy with the turn of events and has accused leading members of the NDC of trying to use Dr Henry Lartey to embarrass him.

He told some Queen mothers who paid a courtesy call on him that the use of Dr Lartey to hound him at CHRAJ smacks of disrespect.

"I was hurt because this thing has been attempted earlier and I took the trouble to explain and there is no need for us to pick it today.

"Why are people worried about the level of integrity we have tried to maintain. In effect what it means is that we appear to have thrown overboard the mutual respect that we used to enjoy amongst ourselves.

"The culture of respect, so that each time we are walking a very thin line. There is more disrespect than respect and that is why it just takes a little spark for the thing to get out of hand," he said.

The NDC leadership has refused to comment on the matter but not Henry Lartey.

In a conversation with Myjoyonline.com, the GCPP leader who is also in court to overturn his disqualification from contesting the 2016 elections, said his motivation to fight corruption at the highest level both in Ghana and Nigeria prompted him to send the Abacha-Rawlings scandal to CHRAJ.

He said for an ex-president who for years has trumpeted his integrity, executed other heads of state over corruption allegations, Mr Rawlings should be bold enough to go and clear himself at CHRAJ.

He said when CHRAJ is done, the country will know whether Mr Rawlings is the junior Jesus or the junior devil.

He dismissed assertions he has been paid by the NDC to hound the ex-president describing it as an insult to his intelligence.

He said no one in NDC has what it takes to bribe him and that nobody can buy his conscience.

Dr Lartey confirmed receiving a reply from CHRAJ about the possibility of an investigation but was worried EOCO was yet to write to him.

Meanwhile, the Deputy CHRAJ Commissioner Joseph Whittal told Joy News they have begun assessing the merits of the complaint by the GCPP leader.

He said when they are done with the internal investigations, the Commission will determine whether there is the need for any better and further particulars and whether any aspects of the Commission's mandate have been triggered.

He said people's reputations are at stake and before the Commission will write to persons against whom corruption allegations have been made, they must be satisfied that there is a prima facie case against those persons.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah