Rawlings Considers Out-Of-Court Settlement

Former President Jerry John Rawlings is considering an out-of-court settlement with Prof. Kwaku Danso-Boafo, Ghana�s former-High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, in a suit restraining the defendant from launching a book he had written about the former president. This was made known by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, counsel for Flt Lt. Rawlings, at the sitting of the Accra Fast Track High Court yesterday. Mr Atta Akyea told the court, presided over by Mr 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 as to whether the out-of-court settlement should prevail. The court consequently adjourned the case to September 26, 2014. Meanwhile, the defendant, Prof. Danso-Boafo, has filed his defence, while the plaintiff has also filed his reply to the defence. Facts Flt Lt. Rawlings filed a writ at the Fast Track High Court to restrain Professor Danso-Boafo from proceeding with the launch of the book. According to an affidavit accompanying the statement of claim, the former-diplomat had breached a contract between them to get the former President�s approval of the final draft of the book entitled: �J.J. Rawlings and the Democratic Transition in Ghana.� It said the former-diplomat had taken advantage of him (Flt Lt. Rawlings) by publishing the book, which was scheduled to be launched at the Teachers Hall in Accra on Wednesday, August 20, 2014. Precondition According to the affidavit, Flt Lt. Rawlings�s approval of the final work was a precondition for the publication of the book, and that even though Prof. Danso-Boafo duly sent a transcript of the book to him, he (Rawlings) had not yet approved of it because it contained inaccuracies and distortions of the reality. It said former President Rawlings had �a proprietary interest in the book� and prayed the court to restrain Prof. Danso-Boafo from launching it. The affidavit said the defendant would go ahead and do so to the incalculable detriment to Flt Lt. Rawlings which cannot be compensated in monetary terms if not restrained. Request According to the affidavit, Prof. Danso-Boafo approached the former President sometime in 2006 and requested to write a book on him, to which he (Rawlings) gave his blessing on condition that he would approve of the final contents. It 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,� the affidavit further stated.