The Independent

"MPs divided over Rawling-Abacha 5 million handshake", says the Independent in a front page banner.

The Independent says there is a sharp division among Members of Parliament as to whether President Jerry Rawlings took 5 million dollars as front money for a public relations drive, from the late Nigerian leader, General Sani Abacha as alleged by a Nigerian newspaper recently, and whether the President should be probed.

The paper says its investigations have shown that wile the NPP membership in Parliament is willing and prepared, even at short notice, to demand the institution f a probe into the allegation, the NDC Parliamentarians are reluctant to "tread on dangerous grounds" by commenting on the allegation.

According to the Independent, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, Minority Spokesman on Foreign Affairs, told the paper in a chat that he had punched holes in a statement issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which sought to clear President Rawlings' name.

The paper quotes Mr Owusu-Agyeman as saying "I believe that what the Foreign Minister said in his statement is neither her nor there. The allegation is serious enough to bring the position and name of the President and that of the country into disrepute and should be probed". GRi