A Ghanaian journalist who was at the forefront of reports in 1998 alleging that former President Jerry John Rawlings had received $5 million from late Nigerian President, Sani Abacha, has punched holes into Mr. Rawlings’ sudden confession that he only received $2 million.
Although former President Rawlings admitted in an interview with the Guardian Newspaper in Nigeria that he did receive money from the Nigerian leader, he stated that he only received $2 million dollars, instead of the $5 million alleged 18 years ago.
But the journalist, William Nyarko, who worked with The Ghanaian Chronicle Newspaper at the time, said information he gathered then indicated that former president Rawlings may have received $5 million dollars.
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Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, William Nyarko said Mr. Rawlings’ claim may not be entirely true.
According to Mr. Nyarko, in 1998 when the matter came up, he went to Nigeria to make contact with a source, one Guazo, the man alleged to have delivered the money to Rawlings.
He said Guazo was under house arrest at the time, and was being guarded by state security services in his village which was near Kano.
This Mr. Nyarko said was a problem for him in gaining access to him, but he said he “used all kinds of undercover tricks to get access to Guazo.”
According to Mr. Nyarko, he spoke to Guazo and “he [Guazo], insisted that he gave President Rawlings $5 million. It is interesting that the former President said he only received $2 million… We would still say that he alleged that he gave President Rawlings $5 million because you and I weren’t there,” he stated.
