Rawlings & Daily Guide Lock Horns

REJOINDER: JJ’s Boy Killed Dear Editor, The attention of the Office of President Rawlings has been drawn to your lead story of Monday January 10, 2011 captioned, “JJ’s Boy Killed”. The caption of the story and some details of the report have been twisted to create the impression that the former President has shown personal interest because he is related to Richard Yakah. For the record, President Rawlings is no relation of Richard Yakah. The source of your report is a statement issued by this office following the former President’s visit to the 37 Military Hospital mortuary and the Airport Police Station to ascertain first hand, available details surrounding the death of Richard Yakah. At no point in our statement, which is attached, did we indicate that there was a relationship between former President Rawlings and the deceased. Also, the former President did not visit the mortuary after his trip to the police station. He went to the mortuary before going to the police station. That fact was also clearly stated in the release. The issue of suspicious incidents on the motorway is on the ascendency and that is the only motivation for the personal interest shown by Flt Lt Rawlings. Indeed he was surprised that though the story had broken at the Legon University campus for several days and was a major topic of discussion, the media had failed to pick it up. It is unfortunate that commercial interests and petty political biases have fed your imagination into twisting the basic facts of the suspicious death of a Ghanaian whose family and friends would be wondering why the simple facts of a terrible tragedy have been given a twist by an irresponsible report. We demand as a right, a verbatim publication of this rejoinder and a retraction of the unfortunate lie in your report. The family of Richard Yakah deserves fairness and justice, not a twisting of facts to create the impression that the deceased’s death is gaining prominence because he is related to President Rawlings. Yours Sincerely Kofi Adams