Former president Rawlings says the controversial retirement package was meant to enable former President Kufuor to “enjoy his loot without question”. “Kufuor deliberately must have asked for it, he must have worked it out with the Chinery group because he wants to enjoy his loot without question. If he is enjoying the loot people will be asking where is the money from so naturally he needs to have a cover, that is why he asked for those absurdities”. He described the retirement package recommended by the Chinery Hesse committee as weird and shocking. When he was reminded that he would also to enjoy the new conditions recommended by the committee, he said “I’m sorry, I’m not interested, I don’t want to hear it, that is rubbish, that is absurd.” Speaking to Joy News en route to Europe, Mr. Rawlings said neither he nor Mr. Kufuor deserves the provisions contained in the package. He said it was abnormal under the current economic conditions in Ghana to give one person two houses, six vehicles, and huge accumulated sums of money in addition to other largesse. The former President also denied allegations that he took fifteen cars home when he left the presidency in 2000. He said he took what was provided for him under the Green Street report and that only one bulletproof vehicle was brought to his house by “our chaps” which he even objected to. Mr. Rawlings said he retired with a monthly salary of 3.4 million old cedis and when President Kufuor came into office “he just hiked up everybody’s pay and left me down there.” Story by Malik Abass Daabu