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19.08.2014 General News

Atta Akyea leads Rawlings to court to stop book launch

By Myjoyonline.com | Malik Abass Daabu
Atta Akyea leads Rawlings to court to stop book launch
19.08.2014 LISTEN

NPP MP for Abuakwa South, Samuel Atta Akyea is expected to move a motion Wednesday for interlocutory injunction on the launch of a book titled, "JJ Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana”.

Mr Rawlings wants the launch stopped because the book contains "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."

His lawyers, Zoe, Akyea & Co filed a motion in court Tuesday seeking an interlocutory injunction on the launch of the book which is scheduled for Wednesday, 20 August 2014.

In his affidavit in support of the motion, former President Rawlings is praying the court to place an injunction on the book launch accusing Professor Danso Boafo of reneging on an earlier agreement reached on the book.

According to Mr. Rawlings, Prof. Danso-Boafo had undertaken to wait for him to review the book and correct all factual inaccuracies that may be contained in it.

He maintained that the author of the book “has breached his own solemn undertaking with me and has published the book “J.J. Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana” with the view to launching same on Wednesday, 20 th  August 2014 at 4:00pm at NAT Teacher's Hall, Accra.”

He said “The Defendant/Respondent has not extended due courtesy to me relating to the agreement aforesaid and had dropped a special invitation inviting him to the launch of the unapproved book.Annexed and marked as Exhibit C is the special invitation dropped at my office by the Defendant/ Respondent.”

Giving background to the agreement with Prof. Danso-Boafo, the former President said "Sometime in 2006 the Defendant/Respondent approached me that he intended writing a book on my role in Ghana's history with strong emphasis on how I transitioned from military rulership to constitutional governance."

He said after receiving the request, he (Rawlings "strongly insisted that I am not averse to him making me the centre of his intended political and intellectual pursuit, provided always that the Defendant/Respondent will make available to me the manuscript for my prior approval for purposes of accurate historical facts and analysis." 

Prof. Danso-Boafo agreed to the terms, the affidavit stated.

"The Defendant/Respondent, consistent with the agreement as spelt out above, purportedly completed his draft of the book which he has entitled “J.J. Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana”, released the manuscript to me," Rawlings explained.

He said a letter acknowledging receipt of the manuscript was sent to the author on March 1, 2012 in which 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."

Mr Rawlings said he was determined to review the manuscript because it contained "several inaccuracies, misinformation and slants which have the potential to poison Ghana's historical records and democratic evolution as well as bring my name and family into disrepute."

It was a matter of grave concern, he said, that the author did not wait for his final input and went ahead to print the book.

He is therefore praying the court to restrain Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo from launching the book because doing so will be detrimental "to me which cannot be compensated in monetary terms."

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