The National Media Commission (NMC) has summoned Kweku Baako Jnr, Editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide over a recent allegation he made touching on the image (integrity) of the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.

The invitation is contained in a letter dated July 8, 2002, following a formal complaint lodged by Nii Odoi Annan and Co., solicitors for the former First Lady. The solicitors? letter was signed by Dr Nii Josiah Aryeh, a lecturer of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana, Legon.

Their action was informed by a Crusading Guide publication dated June 25, 2002, which stated among others that the paper?s scouts had uncovered a foreign account allegedly bearing the name of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings in a Swiss bank.

The paper alleged that the current balance in that Account (A/C) was $632,400 and went ahead to quote the A/C No. as 904242.

The solicitors for the former First Lady claim that their client (Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings) denies all the innuendos contained thereof, adding that ?specifically the former First Lady holds no such account as alleged by Kweku Baako?s paper.

They therefore challenged Mr Kweku Baako Jnr, to bring absolute proof or substantiation all the allegations concerning Nana Konadu in the said publication.

According to the solicitors, the assertions made in the Crusading Guide, were ?false incapable of proof and sound to the disreputation of the complainant (Nana Konadu).

The solicitors claim that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, says that Mr Kweku Baako Jnr. published those assertions maliciously and recklessly; not caring whether they be true or false or whether the former First Lady is injured in her reputation.

Reliefs being sought are that the respondents (Baako and the paper?s publishers, [Professional Link] substantiate or provide absolute proof of all the ?material allegations? against the former First Lady as contained in the publication complained of, including innuendos.

The solicitors added that in the event that the respondents (Baako and Co.) fail, refuse or neglect to substantiate or prove as demanded, a full and complete retraction of the assertions by the respondents (Crusading Guide) should be made. The lawyers of the former First Lady also called for a sincere and unreserved apology in fitting and appropriate words approved by the complainant (Nana Konadu). Such a retracting the solicitors demanded, should be published in two consecutive issues of the Respondent?s newspaper giving it the same prominence as was accorded the publication under review and also publishing the said apology at least once in the Daily Graphic.

It would be recalled that in fulfilment of a notice sounded on Joy FM?s Newsfile programme Kweku Baako Jnr. has since made a series of publications about the former First Family without any reaction from them save a veiled threat of a court action issued by their Personal Assistant, Mr Victor Smith.

The solicitors? decision to take up the matter at the complaints and settlements committee level of the NMC, is therefore seen as contradicting what Mr Victor Smith had told Joy FM when asked whether the Rawlingses intended to go to court. He said something to the effect that the Rawlingses were contemplating an action such as that i.e. institute lega action.

A friend of the Rawlingses told the Daily Guide yesterday that the solicitors of the former First Lady, chose the NMC option because they don?t want an impression to be created that the Rawlingses are litigants adding ?we decided on this course of action in spite of our previous misgivings about the media commission. This is because we want to encourage people to test the channels open to the NMC to amicably resolve complaints and disputes between media practitioners on the one hand; private individuals on the other, and public office holders at large.