Ex-Ghana strongman Jerry John Rawlings failed early September to move his motion seeking an injunction against the launching of a book on his years in power, both as absolute and constitutional, head of state of Ghana.
Rawlings had sued Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, a health Minister under him, for inviting people to the launching of his book, “JJ Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana”.
He is peeved that the about to be launched book “contained several inaccuracies, misinformation and slants which have the potential to poison Ghana’s historical records and democratic evolution as well as bringing my name and family into disrepute” and so should not be launched until the inaccuracies had been corrected.
However when the case was called on September 4, his lawyers made no attempt to move the motion but rather applied for out of court settlement.
The lawyer gave no reasons for the about turn, but it would appear that the affidavit in opposition to his suit had given him a fair assessment of his chances of judicial victory.
In the affidavit, Prof Danso-Boafo, also a former High Commissioner to the UK, denied ever “attacking the personality of former President Jerry John Rawlings or publishing anything untoward about him” in his book, “JJ Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana.”
“The book was not intended to and does not bring Jerry Rawlings and his family into disrepute but was rather authored from an intellectual perspective and fair analysis of historical events which occurred during the Plaintiff’s (Rawlings’) public life from military rule through transition to democracy and written in a very objective light.”
“The author, after completing the book, gave Jerry Rawlings a copy to proof, but the former President, after keeping the copy for well over two years, has not been able to point out a single sentence he finds unacceptable in the book.”
“Even in the affidavit filed by lawyers of the former President, Zoe, Akyea and Co, led by Samuel Atta Akyea, MP for Abuakwa South, they could not exhibit the proofs of a single page which contains the alleged ‘several inaccuracies, misinformation and slants which have the potential to poison Ghana’s historical records and democratic evolution.”
The respondent’s lawyers stressed: “The book is intended to put in the public domain the holistic history of what happened in Ghana under the plaintiff’s rule as head of State, matters which are of public interest, enquiry and debate.
“The late South African President, Nelson Mandela, in writing his foreword of the book, said it is a “must read for all Africans,” therefore emphasizing the public interest quality of the book.
“There are already in the public domain several publications on Rawlings’ rulership and that there is nothing in the book which has not been previously captured in books, scholarly journals, newspapers or even magazines in one form or the other, according to the various authors’ own slants.
“The book is not an autobiography but rather a scholarly material for academic purpose”.
Rawlings was not in court when the application for out-of-court settlement was made.
His lawyer told Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh that his client was currently out of Ghana and was awaiting his return for “further instructions”