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25.10.2014 General News

 Rawlings Settles Case With Ex-Minister

By Daily Guide
Jerry John Rawlings and Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo.Jerry John Rawlings and Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo.
25.10.2014 LISTEN

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has cleared the way for his onetime Minister of Health and friend, Professor Kwaku Danso-Boafo, to launch his book on him (Rawlings), following an         out-of-court settlement.

The former President had gone to court to stop his former minister—who is the immediate past Ghana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom—from launching a book on him without he (former President) first going through it.

Samuel Atta Akyea, counsel for the former President, yesterday informed the Accra Fast Track High Court, presided over by Justice L.L. Mensah, that both parties had agreed to 'the terms of settlement,' bringing to an end months of legal rumpus over the intended launching of the book entitled, 'J.J. Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana,' which had to be postponed for the court hearing.

The trial judge finally struck out the case as settled. 'The terms of settlement are hereby adapted and the case is hereby struck out,' he said.

Earlier, Alex Quartey, counsel for the professor, when asked by the judge whether or not they had seen the contents and had agreed to the terms, he replied in the affirmative and confirmed that an agreement had been reached.

The trial judge urged both parties to abide by the terms of the agreement before striking the case out as settled.

According to the terms of the settlement, concerns raised by the former President would be in the next edition of the book.

Professor Danso-Boafo afterwards expressed satisfaction with the outcome and said he was happy he could finally launch his book.

The book was initially scheduled to be launched on August 20, 2014, but Mr Rawlings wanted the event cancelled altogether, accusing Professor Danso-Boafo of bad faith for reneging on an earlier agreement reached on the book.

In the course of the matter, Atta Akyea indicated that he was ready for an out-of-court settlement with the defendant if he (defendant) was willing and Alex Quartey also indicated his preparedness to ensure that the matter was settled amicably out of court.

Mr Rawlings, in his affidavit in support of the motion, stated that Prof Danso-Boafo had undertaken to wait for him (Rawlings) to review the book and correct all factual inaccuracies in it, but 'has breached his own solemn undertaking with me and has published it with the view to launching it.'

The plaintiff believed the professor had not extended due courtesy due him relating to the said agreement and had only dropped a special invitation inviting him to the launch of the unapproved book.

The defendant in his affidavit in opposition to Mr Rawlings' claims, said the book was not intended to and did 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 proofread but the former President, after keeping the copy for well over two years,  had not been able to point out a single sentence he found 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 proof of a single page which contains the alleged 'several inaccuracies, misinformation and slants which has the potential to poison Ghana's historical records and democratic evolution.'

By Fidelia Achama

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