"I've Never Been A Drug User" - JJ

Former President Rawlings says he is offended by attempts to mar his character and reputation by former Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Hein Princen and his wife as contained in leaked diplomatic cables from the United States Embassy.

A statement issued from the Office of the Ex-President described claims by Mr. and Mrs. Princen that he (Rawlings) has "six" children and is a "drug user" as "unfounded, baseless, malicious and a smear on medically and scientifically established processes; as are actions of a section of the media."

"We wish to state categorically that President Rawlings is not and has never been a drug user and...President Rawlings has four not six children as claimed by Mr. and Mrs. Princen, a fact that is well known and within the public domain," the statement said.

Angered by the Wikileaks' exposé, the former president is said to have instructed his legal counsel to take due note and act accordingly.

Read below the full statement from Former President Rawlings.

RESPONSE TO WIKILEAKS ALLEGATIONS

The attention of the Office of President Rawlings has been drawn to a series of leaked diplomatic cables purported to originate from the United States Embassy.

We have taken particular note of a cable reporting a supposed meeting in 1997 between His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings and the then outgoing Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Mr. Hein Princen and his wife.

We wish to state categorically that President Rawlings is not and has never been a drug user and this office takes particular offence to attempts to mar the character and reputation of President Rawlings who dutifully served as the Head of State of Ghana for 19 years.

President Rawlings has four not six children as claimed by Mr. and Mrs. Princen, a fact that is well known and within the public domain.

The comments by Mr. and Mrs. Princen are unfounded, baseless, malicious and a smear on medically and scientifically established processes; as are actions of a section of the media and this office intends to see this matter through to its logical conclusion.

Third party users of the leaked cables are cautioned that the information therein is false, not privileged and can be the subject of libel and slander.

We have instructed our legal counsel to take due note and act accordingly.