JJ for Chemical Interrogation

The allegations of money laundering by the Rivers State Governor of Nigeria, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, with the former Ghanaian Head of state and founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings named as a beneficiary, has forced the latter to revive his calls for chemical interrogation to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the claims.

According to Mr. Kofi Adams, the Spokesperson for the former President, the allegations were being made by detractors of his boss, who are engaged in a smear campaign, just as they did with regard to the allegations of the Scancem bribery scandal. To him, it is only the application of chemical interrogation that would exonerate the NDC founder.

“The former President is ready to undergo chemical interrogation, because he believes he has not done what he is being accused of. He has not received any money because I was deeply involved in the 2008 campaign, and I managed the resources of Mr Rawlings during the election period. No money of the sort came to us,’ he stressed.

Mr Adams told The Chronicle in a telephone interview yesterday that as far as the former President was concerned, the allegations were baseless and a diversionary tactics. “The matter should be verified by chemical interrogation to establish the truth. The allegation is about the NDC, the former President and the government of Ghana, and everything should be done to bring out the truth,” he said.

According to him, he would not rule out a conspiracy agenda by both internal and external detractors of Mr Rawlings, to sow seed of discord between his boss and the Rivers State Governor.”

The former President hold the view that the story is untrue, and he is considering various options to vindicate himself. He thinks that it was part of a grand design to tarnish his image. He also thinks the allegations are the usual lies by his opponents.”

Mr Kofi Adams, also a Deputy National Youth Organiser of the ruling NDC, claimed that if the NDC had laid hands on the said money, they would have run what he termed an ‘extravagant campaign’, just like their main opponents, the NPP did.

Meanwhile, reports reaching this reporter indicate that the Rivers State Governor of Nigeria, Mr. Amaechi is fuming with rage over the allegations and is in consultation with his lawyers for the next line of action.

According to his spokesperson, Mr David Iyofor, who spoke to The Chronicle in a telephone interview yesterday, some elements were trying to sow seed of disunity between Mr Rawlings and Mr Amaechi, and also Nigeria and Ghana for that matter. He said the falsehood was an attempt to deliberately tarnish the image of the governor and Mr JJ Rawlings.

“It is a deliberate ploy to tarnish the image of Mr Rawlings and the governor. Very soon, the whole world would hear from us.

We are consulting our lawyers and would soon come out,” he said. He continued, “The claims are entirely false. It is disappointing that the Ghanaian media would publish such a falsehood. The information was not even coming from any credible source and it is strange that reputable newspapers in Ghana would join the fray,” he said.

To him, it beats his imagination that the Point Blank newspaper, which failed to provide evidence to substantiate the allegations, are getting collaborators from the Ghanaian media.

“When we first saw the publication, we laughed it off, because we know it was not true. We know that it was a personal attack being waged against the governor. How could any credible organisation pick an untrue story from a paper that has not attempted to provide evidence, and publish it without investigating the matter,” he asked rhetorically, saying, “very soon we shall take action.”