The leader and presidential candidate of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Dr. Henry Lartey has thrown salvos at the former President Rawlings over his installment as peace Chief at Anlo by the Paramount Chief of Anlo Traditional Council Togbui Sri III.
The former president was installed as the peace chief at a mini Hogbetsotso festival in Tadzewu to herald the upcoming grand durbar of the chiefs and people in Anloga on Saturday.
However, Dr. Henry Lartey who has been jabbing the president for some time now over his confession of accepting $ 2 million from the late Nigerian leader Sani Abacha has described the installment as fraudulent and an indictment to the chieftaincy institution.
According to him, a man who could kill his fellows over corruption and confess after many years of denial on the Abacha cash should not have been installed as a peace chief.
Rawlings recently called the bluff of the leader of the GCPP accusing him of taking money from the NDC to indict him over the Abacha cash. The former president went ahead to dare Dr. Lartey to join him so they swear by the ‘gods’ to establish the truth over the cash.
Dr. Henry Lartey in a sharp rebuttal also accepted the challenge but denied claims that he was being sponsored by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to tarnish his [Rawlings] image.
In an exclusive interview with rainbowradioonline.com, the candidate of the GCPP said, his lawyer will soon take steps to sue the former president in court over the Abacha cash and further called on the Traditional Council to dethrone the former president since in his view he does not deserve the honours done him.
Rawlings he stressed cannot be referred to as a peace ambassador after what he did to former military officers, national leaders and individuals in the past.
Dr. Lartey said he will continue to pursue the case until Rawlings is dealt with as the law requires.
He described the installment as ridiculous adding, ‘’Why should he [Rawlings] be installed as a peace chief? He is hiding behind the chiefs to hide his embarrassment. How can a murderer be installed as a chief? You can run former President Rawlings but you cannot hide because the long arm of the law will get him. He will go through the democratic court. My lawyer is almost done with the processes to sue him in court so he come and explain when and where the NDC bribed me to attack his integrity.’’
He added, ''the man has confessed himself that he took the money. So why should he turn around to accuse me of doing the bidding of the NDC. The former president also looted and stole from the state together with his wife and so why should such a person be allowed or installed as a peace chief? You have lied to the chiefs of the Anlo Traditional Council to install you as a peace chief. If they really know who the former president is, they will stripe him off this installment. He killed the late Major (rtd) Kwaku Utuka for ethic balance.''