The Ghanaian chronicle

The alleged 5 million dollars bribery scandal involving President Jerry John Rawlings is the major front page story of the Chronicle. The paper says as the allegation of bribery against President Jerry Rawlings gathered heat, Nigeria's opposition leader and bitterest critic of the late General Abacha's regime, lawyer Gani Fawehinmi has abused the growing suspicion with a vote of confidence in President Rawlings and an outright rejection of the allegation. The Chronicle says Lawyer Fawehinmi told the paper in a tape recorded interview at his Lagos residence that nobody would have had any second thoughts if the allegation of acceptance of bribe had been made against somebody like Gambian President, Yahaya Jammeh, but Rawlings has such a strong reputation of honesty in Nigeria, even among the Pro-democracy and Human Rights groups, that it could not be true. According to the paper, the Nigerian Newspaper, 'The Post Express', which had alleged that President Rawlings was personally given Five million dollars "sleaze money" in November, 1996, by late General Sani Abacha, to launder his battered image, has however, stated that it still stands by its story. GRi

A centre spread headling in the Chronicle says "Ruling on illegal acquisition by President's men .... CHRAJ dialogues with government for compliance" In the accompanying story, the paper says two years after the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) indicted two former ministers and a Presidential staffer for illegal acquisition of property and abuse of office, the Commission says it is discussing with the authorities the implementation of its recommendations. The Chronicle says the Commissioner, Mr. Francis Emile Short, said his commission "is still in a process of dialogue with the authorities to ensure complaince." The paper says Mr. Short was responding to a question about CHRAJ's independence in the performance of its duties with reference to the government's White Paper rejecting some of the Commission's findings against the public officials. Mr. Short, the paper says, observed that even though the not all recommendations have been implemented, the persons involved are no more at post. Two years ago, CHRAJ investigated and made adverse findings against Colonel E.M. Osei Owusu (rtd), former Minister of the Interior, MrIbrahim Adam, former Minister of Food and Agriculture, and Dr. Isaac Adjei-Marfo, Presidential Staffer for Cocoa. GRi