Former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, today, filed proceedings on behalf of former President, Donald Ramotar, against the National Media and Publishing Company Limited, the publisher of Kaieteur News, National Media and Broadcasting Company Limited, who is responsible for Kaieteur News radio station, Glenn Lall, the owner of Kaieteur News and Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris, for defamation of character.
Nandlall is seeking claims from the Defendants, jointly and severally:
“(i) damages in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for libel published from the 5th day of June, 2019, and repeated on the 6th to the 13th day of June, 2019, on listed pages of the Kaieteur News under the bold and sensational headline: “WAKE UP GUYANA!!!”;
“(ii) damages in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for libel published on the 9th day of June, 2019, and repeated on the 25th June, 2019, on page two (2) of the Kaieteur News under the bold and sensational headline: “WAKE UP GUYANESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS;
“(iii) damages in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for libel published on the 12th and 13th day of June 2019, on page two (2) of the Kaieteur News under the bold and sensational headline: “WAKE UP GUYANESE Before Cat eat yuh Dinna”;
“(iv) damages in excess of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) for libel broadcasted starting on the 5th day of June, 2019, and continuing daily, in the form of a skit which explains the meaning of the articles published on page 2 of the on Kaieteur News “Kaieteur Radio Today”, a radio station operating on frequencies 99.1 FM, Georgetown and Essequibo and 99.5 FM, Berbice;
“(v) exemplary/aggravated damages;
“(vi) interest on all damages awarded pursuant to Section 12 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Chap 6:02;
“(vii) costs;
“(viii) such further or other Order(s) as the Court may deem just and proper.”
Further, Nandlall is seeking an injunction from the Court “…the Defendants by themselves, their servants and/or agents and each and every one of them from publishing or broadcasting any statement whatsoever of and concerning the Claimant which suggests or tend to suggests or convey the impression that the Claimant are engaged in, connected to, associated with, involved in malpractice and/or stole money whatsoever and howsoever; costs and such further or other Order(s) as the Court may deem just and proper.”
This challenge concerns articled carried by Kaieteur News about the investigation, by the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA), into oil blocks that were given out during the period that Ramotar served as President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.
Notably, despite a press release from the former President, Kaieteur News continued to publish article and news pieces on “…Kaieteur News and on Kaieteur Radio Today, respectively, which are defamatory of the Claimant and were done to cause injury to his character and good reputation.”
The Notice of Application for interim relief is set to be heard before Justice Kissoon on the 2nd day of July 2019, at 3:00 pm.
