Former President, Jerry Rawlings has expressed scepticism about the G-8 debt cancellation package for 18 poor countries, including Ghana.

The country stands to gain an estimated 5.2 billion dollars from the package ? funds which would otherwise have been used on debt servicing.

In an interview with the BBC, the former President said he?s adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards the declaration of the G-8.

?Let us hope that when the time comes they will deliver then we could believe them, ok. We?ve heard things like that before. (President) Bush when he was going to wage war against Iraq, he promised 15 billion (dollars) to Africa and the rest of the world. I am not too sure I have seen a penny yet?, he said.

Ex-President Rawlings said he believed corrupt African leaders had stashed monies stolen from their countries abroad as such the relief is a recycle of such monies.