I have not stabbed Rawlings – Danso- Boafo

Ghana’s Former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Prof Kwaku Danso- Boafo, has said he neither attacked the personality of former President Jerry John Rawlings nor published anything untoward about him in his book, “JJ Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana.”

The former President has gone to court over the matter, seeking an injunction to restrain the former High Commissioner, who was a Minister of Health in his (Jerry’s) administration from launching the book, claiming the publication “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.”

However, Prof Danso-Boafo, in his affidavit in opposition to the Rawlings’ claims, said 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.”

Prof Danso-Boafo’s affidavit said “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.”

He said 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.’

Lawyer J.A. Larkai, head of Prof Danso-Boafo’s legal team, declined speaking to DAILY GUIDE over the matter and explained it was not the style of his chamber, Prudential Law Offices, to speak to the media over a case pending before the courts.

DAILY GUIDE has, however, sighted a copy of the affidavit which states that “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.”

It said 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.

It continued that there were 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.

Out Of Court Settlement

The case was called on Thursday, but the former President was not in court.

However, his lawyer, Atta Akyea, told the court that Mr Rawlings was considering an outof- court settlement with Prof Danso-Boafo.

Counsel told the court, presided over by Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, that his client was currently out of the country and that he was waiting for him to return for further instructions on the way forward for the out-of court settlement.

The court consequently adjourned the case to September 26, 2014.