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General News of Tuesday, 15 July 2003

Source: GNA

Rawlings responds to women demonstrators

Accra, July 15, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday waited in vain in his house to receive a petition from the Concerned Women who demonstrated in Accra in demand for the names of alleged serial killers of the 34 women.

The women who were supposed to march from Circle through Adabraka to end at the ex-President's house instead, changed their course from Circle through the ring road to the Parliament House.

President Rawlings in a response speech to party members, who gathered in his house, said, "I was ready to host them and would have explained things to them if they had come. I even asked my special assistant to organize water so that when they come in and they are thirsty, we would offer them water to drink."

"But because my telephone lines had been tapped and security agencies had over heard some of my conversations regarding the demonstrators they decided to change the routes," former President Rawlings said adding, "if they had gone to the children's park, I would have met them there and clear their minds about the issue at stake".

President Rawlings expressed the belief that the women demonstrators did not understand the situation on the ground because "we all want the truth that is why I'm asking for the lie detector and chemical interrogator".

He said Ghanaian for long have lied under the oath of the Bible and he would not want to do same, hence his request. "The NPP government was afraid to accept his request because it knows that if those gadgets were brought in it would change the course of truth in this country and that all their bad deeds would be exposed," he added.

He said the other option that could be available for the government for him to produce the names was to have a mutual group preferably an international body that would mediate and ensure that justice prevailed when the names are mentioned.

"I want the truth but the truth should be accomplished with justice," Ex-President said.