Major Larson versus Talking Drums
Early this past week, we received a letter from a firm of solicitors in London who had been instructed by Major L.A. Larson, the interdicted managing director of the Bibiani Industrial Complex.Dear Sirs,
Since Major Larson's affairs at Bibiani Industrial Complex have been the subject of a recent commission of enquiry, and of continued interest in Ghana, we are publishing the letter from his solicitors and our reply.
We are instructed by Major L.A. Larson in connection with an article entitled "Who Deserves to be Killed and by Whom in Ghana?" which appeared in the June 17, 1985 edition of Talking Drums.
On pages 14 and 15 you make the grossly defamatory allegation against our client that he placed $22,000 in a Bank Account in Poland, and that he obtained that money as a result of theft from his employer or by way of some form of bribery or corruption, and further that he has, in effect, defrauded the people of Ghana of the sum of C4,400,000. You further say at page 16 that our client has been involved in the printing and sale of forged tickets for sporting events.
Both these allegations, as you must be well aware, and indeed as you yourselves acknowledge in the article itself in the case of the Polish Bank transaction, are wholly untrue and without any foundation whatsoever. We have ourselves examined the papers in the case and it appears to us that Major Larson's conduct throughout has been exemplary. Notwithstanding your obvious knowledge of his complete innocence, you have deliberately and maliciously, no doubt for political reasons, published these disgraceful allegations.
Unless, therefore, we receive within 14 days your written undertaking to publish in your next issue a full apology and retraction, in form and content agreed by ourselves, together with your agreement to the payment of a suitable sum by way of damages and costs, we have instructions to commence proceedings for libel without further reference to yourselves.
Further, with regard to the circumstances of this case, we require forthwith your written undertaking that you will not further print or publish, or cause to be printed or published, the article we have referred to insofar as it concerns our client, nor will you print or publish or cause to be printed or published, any article concerning similar allegations.
If we do not receive your written undertaking to this effect by 4.30 p.m. on the 12th day of September 1985, we shall take proceedings for an Injunction to that effect.
The plot thickens...
Before we received the solicitor's letter, we heard that various press houses had received press statements that we had been sued. We therefore made investigations which led to the Editor writing a letter to a Mr Peter Diddlecombe, which we publish below:I have recently discovered that a press statement has been issued to various press houses stating, among other things, that Talking Drums "had been sued for record damages" in connection with some matters.
Before I had even received a letter from solicitors on the matter, the press statement had been made and further information about the matter was to be sought from a London telephone number.
When my office rang this number and identified ourselves we were faced with a short reply that we should just reply to the solicitor's letter that we had received.
Subsequently, I have gathered that you and/or Robo Limited were showing a lot of interest in this affair. We therefore made further investigations and have gathered that: (1) You either work for or own Robo Ltd; (2) You issue press releases on Togolese matters, or at least, those releases are issued on Robo Ltd letterheads (to whom I am addressing a copy of this letter).
We find it very curious that you and/or your company Robo Ltd should be so concerned with matters that supposedly concern principally: Major Larson, his solicitors and Talking Drums.
Your interference in a matter in which you have no obvious interest can only be considered by us as being malicious and in the circumstances we feel that should you continue with your campaign against Talking Drums we shall have no alternative but to take action against you.
Our reply...
The article you referred to, dealt with instances in Ghana when the ruling Provisional National Defence Council has ordered the execution of people on mere suspicion or allegations of wrongdoings.References to your client, Major L.A. Larson, in the article, quoted allegations made about him and published in various Ghanaian newspapers and which were a subject of a committee of inquiry.
Not everybody is lucky enough in present day Ghana to face a committee of enquiry when there are rumours or allegations of wrongdoing against him as he was with the opportunity of stating his case. Many people are simply hauled before a tribunal or tried in secret and executed. I have noted that on examination of the relevant papers, you have been persuaded that Major Larson's conduct has been exemplary, but that, I am afraid, does not alter the fact that the allegations were made against him and led to the appointment of a commission of enquiry which investigated some of these matters. Nor does it in any way change the fact that many people are not extended a similar courtesy by the ruling military junta in Ghana in which Major Larson serves, which is the main point of the article. These allegations were published in various Ghanaian newspapers and Major Larson apparently has taken no action against them.
I totally reject your allegations that the article said your client has been involved in the printing and sale of forged tickets for sporting events. I am afraid I am unable to give you any undertaking inhibiting Talking Drums from publishing a matter of extreme public interest and continuing debate in Ghana.
From the above, you must agree that there can be no question of an apology to your client as we do not consider the article libelous!
We understand that even before we received your letter, news of Talking Drums "having been sued for record damages" in connection with this case had already reached other press homes who inform us that the news came from the solicitor's, i.e. your public relations department.
In view of the press statements you have issued concerning Talking Drums, a copy of this letter will be published in the next issue of the magazine and further investigations will be made to ascertain what, if any. connections there are with Major Larsen
