[ 2014-08-20 ]

Rawlings Sues Ghana's Ex-High Commissioner To UK
Former President Jerry Rawlings is seeking a
perpetual injunction at the Fast Track High Court
to restrain Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Ghana's
ex-High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, from
proceeding with the launch of a book the latter
has written on Rawlings.

According to Rawlings, the ex-diploma has breached
a contract between them to get his approval of the
final draft of the book JJ Rawlings and the
Democratic Transition in Ghana, and so should not
be allowed to launch and sell it.

Rawlings says the ex-diplomat is taking advantage
of him by publishing the book, which he is due to
launch on Wednesday, August 20, at the GNAT
Teachers Hall in Accra.

Prof Danso-Boafo has pencilled his protagonist as
a 'Special Guest' to the event, invitation to
which was sent to Rawlings only yesterday
(Monday).

According to court documents filed by Rawlings,
his approving the final work was a precondition
for the publishing of the book and even though
Prof Danso-Boafo duly sent a transcript of the
book to him, he has not yet approved of it because
it contained inaccuracies and distortions of the
reality.

Rawlings who contends that he has 'a proprietary
interest in the book,' adds that unless restrained
by the Court from launching the book Prof
Danso-Boafo 'will go ahead and do so to the
incalculable detriment to me which cannot be
compensated in monetary terms.'

According to Rawlings, Prof Danso-Boafo approached
him sometime in 2006 and requested to write a book
on him, to which he gave his blessing on condition
that he would approve of the final contents.

He said consistent with the agreement between the
two, Prof Danso-Boafo released the manuscript to
him when he completed his draft of the book.

'On 1st March 2012, my office delivered a letter
to the Defendant/ Respondent, at all material
times, Ghana's Ambassador to the United Kingdom
acknowledging receipt of the transcript of the
book aforementioned.'

'In the said letter, I was emphatic that I handed
over the transcript to a team of literary and
legal experts to evaluate and recommend amendments
where necessary given the undeniable fact that the
Defendant/Respondent's whole academic enterprise
centres primarily on my person.'

'This is against the backdrop that the manuscript
delivered to me by the Defendant/Respondent
contained several inaccuracies, misinformation and
slants which has the potential to poison Ghana's
historical records and democratic evolution as
well as bringing my name and family into
disrepute.'

Subsequently, the writ says Prof Danso-Boafo sent
text messages to Rawlings seeking to be allowed to
go ahead with the publication without his final
perusal of same, which he flatly refused.

Rawlings said Prof Danso-Boafo has breached his
own solemn undertaking with him and in publishing
the book also failed to extend due courtesy to
him, for all of which he is seeking among other
reliefs, 'An order of perpetual injunction
restraining the Defendant, his publishers, agents,
assigns, hirelings or otherwise howsoever from
launching and selling the book entitled 'J.J.
Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana'.

It was not immediately known if Prof Danso-Boafo
had duly been served with the court processes as
he was not immediately available for comment while
sources close to him said he had travelled to
Kyebi in the Eastern region.

Source - Daily Graphic

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