His Excellency, Jerry John Rawlings
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has finally carried through his threat to sue the Africawatch magazine and its Editor, Steve Mallory, for peddling falsehood about his person.
Joined in the suit are General Media Strategies Incorporated, publishers of the magazine, registered and resident in the United States of America, Liberty Media Concepts, the Ghana office of the company, Baffour Ankomah, Rosemary Atiemo and Lisa Vives, who are all contributing and associate editors of the magazine.
Reason
It follows a publication in the magazine sometime in May this year which sought to create the impression that Rawlings, who is also the founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), suffers the dreaded Parkinson’s disease under the headline, ‘Now This Man Needs Your Prayers…Parkinson’s Disease Eats Rawlings’ Strength Away.’
The former president insists that he has not been diagnosed with the said disease, describing the claim as a blatant lie.
Upon seeing the story, Rawlings caused his lawyers to not only deny its content, but ask them to retract and apologise to him with the same prominence given the story.
He further demanded an immediate halt of the distribution of that particular edition and caused the publication of the retraction and apology in at least one major newspaper in all the countries listed on the cover of the magazine as well as the next edition of the magazine.
But the publishers and the editors of the magazine appeared to have called Jerry Rawlings’ bluff by ignoring his request.
Rawlings had not been able to serve the defendants and therefore used substituted service to reach out to them.
In a suit filed on his behalf by his lawyer, Ms Hanifa Yahaya of Akoto-Bamfo and Co. law firm, the former president insisted “the publication was defamatory because it was blatantly false and malicious.”
Justification
As an international statesman whose services are sought on the African continent and abroad, Mr Rawlings said the publication has the effect of projecting him as unwell and unfit for his much sought-after international engagements and further affect his earnings.
The writ averred, “Plaintiff says that he is in good health and is fit to and does perform all his usual activities like driving, flying among others, and that the said publication of the Defendants may cause him to be denied the rights and privileges of a fit pilot, including being denied admission into private flying clubs as he may be seen as being unfit”
He is also convinced the publishers of the magazine were aware that the story was untrue and actuated by malice because they did not bother to check the facts of the story before publishing.
“Plaintiff states that the said publication was injurious to his reputation as he and his immediate family and his team of staff were inundated with calls from friends and family members all over the country and abroad and harassed by the media following the outbreak of the said story.”
“That as an international statesman whose services were sought on the continent and abroad the said publication, had the effect of projecting him as unwell and unfit for his much sought-after international engagements,” the writ indicated.
Reliefs
Apart from costs, aggravated and exemplary damages for defamation, the former president is also demanding an immediate retraction and apology of the story with the same prominence given the substantive story and any orders that the court may deem fit.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu