[ 2016-11-14 ]

Rawlings sues Africawatch over Parkinson’s claim
Former President Jerry John Rawlings has sued
publishers of Africawatch magazine for defamation
and is claiming “aggravated and exemplary
damages” among others, for claims he has
Parkinson’s disease.

The suit at the High Court in Accra lists six
respondents, including General Media Strategies
Inc, (the Publisher), Liberty Media Concepts (the
Ghana office of the US-based magazine), and Steve
Mallory (executive editor).

The magazine had in May this year claimed in a
cover story that Parkinson’s was eating
Rawlings’ strength away and that there were
bleak days ahead of him for which he needed
prayers.

Dispute

However, lawyers for the former president said the
claim was not only “a blatant falsehood” as he
has not been diagnosed with the disease, but was
motivated by malice as the authors did not even
bother to verify with him.

Besides, the defendants have also ignored a
request to retract the claims and withdraw the
further distribution of the publication which was
not published under any circumstance of privilege,
according to the writ deposed to by Mr Kobina
Andoh Amoakwa of the office of the former
president.

“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,” the suit partly read.

“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.”

Rawlings said further that as an international
statesman with many high profile engagements, the
said publication could affect his earnings and
cost him some rights and privileges.

“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,” it read

Claims against defendants

Claims against the defendants “jointly and
severally” are: The immediate retraction of the
story and an apology with the same prominence
given to the story.

The immediate halt to the further distribution of
the said edition of the offensive publication and
the publication of the retraction and apology in
at least one major newspaper in all the countries
listed on the cover of the said magazine as
circulation zones, as well as in the next monthly
edition of the magazine.

Aggravated and exemplary damages for defamation.

Costs

Any other order(s) as this honourable court deems
fit.

Source - Graphiconline

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