Court deals another blow to New GPC

…denies blanket order for deposition

Samuel Beckerman, the lawyer for the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation moved to the court last month, to have Kaieteur News’ Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris, be made available for to him for questioning. On Monday, the court headed by Judge Joan Kenney handed Beckerman another blow when she bluntly refused his application. By way of motion filed on March 7, last, Beckerman sought an order directing lawyers for Kaieteur News Inc, in New York, to “produce Adam Harris for the continued deposition of Kaieteur News Inc.” He had earlier moved to take a deposition from Adam Harris, but lawyers for Kaieteur News Inc, James Sullivan and John Corring, recognized that the plaintiff, the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation was in effect, trying to drag the Guyana publication into the New York courts. In the end, Beckerman had no option but to depose the manager of the New York publication. What should have been conducted over three days lasted a mere 45 minutes. So angry was Beckerman that he immediately moved to the courts to subpoena Harris for the deposition. He went further. He wanted the court to produce any manager, director, any officer or employee, who may possess information necessary for the prosecution of the case. On Monday the court rebuffed him. Judge Joan Kenney ruled that New GPC has already commenced legal action against Harris in Guyana. “The plaintiff can, if it so chooses to, serve Adam Harris as a non-party to this action with a properly issued deposition subpoena.” “It is ordered that the further production of any other people with knowledge is denied without prejudice, in so far as the plaintiff must specify exactly who it seeks to depose rather than seek a blanket order for persons in the defendants’ control with necessary and material information to prosecute this matter.” Beckerman had tried to get the Guyana publication in court during an earlier deposition. He produced copies of the Guyana issue and sought to question the New York manager. He was stopped in his tracks when lawyers for Kaieteur News Inc, James Sullivan and John Corring, informed him that he had in fact taken the New York issue to court and not the Guyana publications. Both New GPC and Kaieteur Inc are to appear in court in New York on June 26, next.