J.J 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". Click to read the writ of summons.

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: graphic.com.gh