SOCU Head, local gov’t minister Persaud file GY$605 million defamation lawsuits against reporter

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 October 2024, 16:49 by Writer

The Head of the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Fazil Karimbaksh and Minister of Local Government, Anand Persaud filed two separate libel suits against reporter and owner of The Big Smith News Watch, Leroy Smith for a total of GY$605 million plus aggravated or exemplary damages.

When contacted Friday evening, Mr Smith said he was not served with either of the lawsuits and so he would not comment. He said his lawyers would comment only after reading them.

In his lawsuit filed through the law firm, Satram and Satram, Mr Karimbaksh is claiming GY$100 million for each of the alleged six instances of libel by Mr Smith on September 11, October 13-14, 16-17 and 23.

The SOCU Head is also asking the court to award him GY$100 million for aggravated and/or exemplary damages for the libel caused by Mr Smith.

If the High Court agrees with Mr Karimbaksh’s request, Mr Smith, his agents or employees will have to cease speaking or publishing the contents that the applicant says are defamatory and remove the publications from the World Wide Web.

Mr Karimbaksh said the utterances complained of were calculated to disparage him and intentionally done to and did embarrass, humiliate and injure his reputation and standing in his profession and office. “By reason of the publication of the words complained of the Claimant’s reputation has been and continues to be seriously injured, and he has suffered considerable hurt, distress and embarrassment,” his lawyers said.

In his defamation lawsuit – through lawyers Sanjeev Datadin, Khalif Gobin and Mohanie Anganoo – Mr Persaud is suing Mr Smith for GY$5 million and aggravated and/or exemplary damages for libel contained in an article published on Big Smith News Watch on October 14, 2024, his Facebook pages and WhatsApp.

The minister wants the High Court to order Mr Smith to remove all social media and bigsmithnewswatch.com posts which contain “false and defamatory words or similar words” that carry the expressed or implied meaning, and a retraction and apology to Mr Persaud for those offending statements.

“The words, and any reasonable inference thereto is completely and utterly false and without any foundation in reality, real or imaginary.

That by reason of the publication and the words complained of the Claimant’s reputation has been seriously harmed and he has suffered hurt, distress and embarrassment.

The publication has lowered the Claimant in the eyes of right-thinking human beings and has caused him to be inundated with texts and messages from family members and close friends about his purported involvement in the police investigation of Brutus and Hicken.

Further, the Claimant’s interaction with the public which he is obliged to do as part of his job has placed him in awkward situations where persons are asking him about his involvement with investigation of (Assistant Police Commissioner) Brutus and (Police Commissioner) Hicken,” the government minister said in court papers seen by Demerara Waves Online News.