Konadu Rawlings charged with theft, fraud and conspiracy

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Despite her claim of “standing on high moral grounds” and upholding the tenets of “Probity, Accountability and Social Justice”, founder of the National Democratic Party, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, is deeply enmeshed in corruption as those she persistently accuse, a research has revealed

Records show that while Mrs Rawlings has accused officials of the NDC of corruption, the former first lady was not only accused of corruption but was indeed charged with theft, fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state during the John Kufuor administration.

But for ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor’s ‘latter-day’ demonstration of high-mindedness when he truncated prosecution of some members and officials of the National Democratic Congress government of Ex-President Rawlings’ administration, Nana Konadu would have been languishing in jail.

The former first lady was among kingpins of the NDC under the rule of Jerry John Rawlings charged with theft, fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state by the John Kufuor administration in 2005, but was “saved by the bell” when the then departing President, Mr Kufuor, instructed prosecutors to discontinue the case against her in December 2008.

Though no official reason was given for the Kufuor administration’s decision to drop charges against Konadu, Mr Kufuor’s supporters say “the former President took that decision out of goodwill and in the spirit of reconciliation, it was also to demonstrate his bigheartedness”.

According to a BBC report “Her (Mrs Rawlings) attorney said the case had been dropped on the orders of John Kufuor…

Former Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Company, Mr. Tsatu Tsikata, who had already received a five-year prison term in 2008 for causing financial loss to the state, was also pardoned by President Kufuor alongside Nana Konadu.

Mrs Rawlings, whose daughter is the NDC MP for Klottey Korle, ditched his hubby’s party, the NDC, in 2011 after a fruitless attempt to snatch the leadership of the party from the late President Mills.

She subsequently formed the NDP but only succeeded in having her name on Ghana’s presidential ballot in last year’s election after failed attempt in 2012. She however, performed miserably, having come last in the 2016 polls.

Since her departure from the NDC, Mrs Rawlings has been on the neck of NDC officials, describing them as filthy corrupt and undeserving of managing the country.

She has accused virtually every official of NDC of corruption, except her husband and perhaps, other NDC bigwigs who remain loyal to her household.

Memories of how NDC activists staunchly defended her and stood by during her trial should have been enough to prod Mr and Mrs Rawlings to reciprocate the kind gesture extended her that eventually led to her gaining her freedom.

Read below the BBC report published in 2009…

Ghana ex-first lady case dropped

All charges have been dropped against Ghana’s former first lady Nana Konadu Rawlings, her lawyer has told the BBC.

She was charged in 2005 with theft, fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state during the 1990s when her husband Jerry Rawlings was president.

Her attorney said the case had been dropped on the orders of John Kufuor, who stood down as president last week.

He handed over to John Atta Mills, once Mr Rawlings’ deputy, after his party’s candidate lost the December elections.

Leaders of the National Democratic Congress, now in power, had dubbed this case – and another against the former chief of Ghana’s National Petroleum Company – as politically motivated “witch hunts”.

Tsatu Tsikata, who received a five-year prison term in 2008 for causing financial loss to the state, was also pardoned by Mr Kufuor last week.

The BBC’s David Amanor in the capital, Accra, says it is unclear why the cases have been dismissed.

Mr Kufuor’s supporters say it is a mark of his generous spirit; his detractors say that with his New Patriotic Party out of government, the former president is attempting to head off recriminations.

‘Dragged through mud’

Mr Tsikata has vowed to ignore the pardon and carry on fighting for acquittal in the courts.

Mrs Rawlings’ lawyer expressed dismay at the handling of the case which will be formally discontinued by Ghana’s High Court on Thursday.

“Her name has been dragged through the mud for three years,” Tony Lithur told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

“The case has damaged Mrs Rawlings’ international reputation and had no basis in the first place,” he said.

Mrs Rawlings and four others were accused of misappropriating public funds and property during the late 1990s while organizing the sale of a publicly owned canning factory in Ghana’s Eastern region.

The defendants had all pleaded not guilty.

Mr Rawlings first came to power in a coup in 1979, and in 1981 again seized power from his democratically elected successor.

He won democratic elections in 1992 and 1996 but stood down at the 2000 election, when his chosen successor, Mr Atta Mills, was defeated by Mr Kufuor. Source: BBC Tuesday, 13 January 2009

Source: alhajjnewspaper.com