Ghana ex-leader cars repossessed

John Kufuor stood down in January after serving the maximum two terms

Ghana's former President, John Kufuor, is without an official car after the government took back his three remaining vehicles.

The Ford Expedition SUVs were reclaimed weeks after the government asked Mr Kufuor to return state vehicles.

Officials earlier took back three BMWs and offered Mr Kufuor some Chryslers by way of replacement, but he refused.

He stood down after serving the maximum two terms in January, when his ruling party narrowly lost elections.

The ex-president's party was narrowly beaten by the opposition, led by his successor John Atta Mills.

"He's not an embittered person, he goes about his business as best as he could," Frank Agyekum, Mr Kufuor's spokesman, told the BBC about the former president's reaction to the vehicle repossessions.

"Of course he'd also wish that things had gone in a better way but he's alright, he's very fine and he's okay."

'Witch-hunt'

Rumours that Mr Kufuor attended his successor's maiden state of the nation address in February in one of the BMWs, still sporting the presidential crest on the front grill, have been flatly denied by his spokesman.

The BBC's James Afedo in the capital, Accra, says Mr Kufuor's end-of-service package entitled him to six cars.

He left office with a fleet of 11 official vehicles, prompting the new government to say he had too many.

President John Atta Mills' office offered Mr Kufuor more cars on Monday

Five of the vehicles were reclaimed, leaving three BMW 7 series saloons and three Ford Expedition vehicles.

Officials then stated the BMWs were supposed to be part of the security details of the new president.

Mr Kufuor gave up the three BMWs last month.

There was no explanation as to why the three Ford Expeditions were then taken away.

After Monday's repossessions, the president's office offered Mr Kufuor two Mercedes Benz saloons and two 4X4s, says our correspondent.

There were mixed reactions in the capital, Accra, to the controversy.

"Going off with a huge pension and ex-gratia makes no sense. I don't find anything wrong with what's happening," one resident told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

But another man on the street said: "It's unnecessary. That is the kind of witch-hunting that needs to stop."