Mrs Rawlings drops case against Baako ?

Contrary to earlier threat that she was going to file a writ against the Editor-in-Chief of the Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako over a publication in the paper concerning her forex account in a Swiss Bank as published by the Crusading Guide, the former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has complained to the National Media Commission for redress. The complaint was not lodged against Baako alone but also the Publishers of the paper, Professional Link Limited. It will be recalled that in a sharp reaction to the story, the Special Assistant to the Rawlings, Victor Smith said the matter was not going to be sent to the NMC because it has been dealing with complaints in a wishy-washy manner. He cited an instance where a Journalist (name withheld) who had written something about one of the daughters of the Rawlings, refused to comply with the directive of the Commission for an amicable settlement. Acting for and on behalf of Nana Konadu, her solicitors, Nii Odoi Annan and company, in a letter to the Chairman of the Commission dated 5th July, 2002 and signed by Dr N. Josiah Aryeh described the publication as “utterly without foundation”, and “appears calculated to injure the reputation of our client, who is the former First Lady of the Republic of Ghana”. According to the Solicitors, Nana Konadu “completely denies all the allegations and innuendos. Specifically, she has no such account as alleged in the publication”. The ‘U-turn’ that the First Lady made is manifested in one of the paragraphs of the letter mentioned earlier. “Although our client has contemplated pursuing the matter in the ordinary courts of law, we deem it necessary to invoke the procedures of the National Media Commission at the first instance”. Giving the particulars of the complainant, Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings’ solicitors highlighted some of the issues raised in the story and submitted that their client would contend that the assertion were “false incapable of proof and sound to the disreputation of the complainant.” “That the complainant further says the Respondents published the assertions complained of maliciously and recklessly, not caring whether they be true or false or whether the complainant is injured in her reputation or not”. “That the said words in their natural and ordinary meaning meant and were understood to mean that the complainant and her husband are corrupt and contemptible characters who has looted the public coffers of Ghana and stashed the booty away in foreign accounts”. In conclusions, Nana Konadu’s lawyers said, “by reason of the foregoing, the Complainant has been greatly injured in her character and reputation and has been brought into public scandal, opium and contempt”. The reliefs being sought are that the Respondents (Baako and Professional Link Limited) substantiate or offer absolute proof of all “material allegations” against the Complainant contained in the publication complained of, including innuendos. “In the event that respondents fail, refuse or neglect to substantiate or prove as demanded, a full and complete retraction of the assertions by the Respondents, a sincere and unreserved apology in fitting and appropriate words approved by the complainant and published in two consecutive issues of the Respondents’ newspaper giving it the same prominence as was accorded the publication under review and also publishing the said apology at least once in the Daily Graphic”. Consequent to the complaint, the National Media Commission has in a letter dated 8 July 2002, summoned Kweku Baako and the publishers to appear before the Complaints Settlement Committee for a determination of the matter. They are to respond with seven days.