Agriculture Minister files GY$5 million libel suit against Opposition Leader

Last Updated on Monday, 22 January 2024, 17:04 by Denis Chabrol

Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha on Monday filed a GY$5 million libel lawsuit against Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton in connection with a number of posts on Facebook about chicken smuggling.

That amount could be more if the High Court yields to Mr Mustapha’s request for exemplary and/or aggravated damages to be awarded.

The Minister also wants the High Court to order Mr Norton, in his official and personal capacity, to immediately remove and/ or cause to be removed all social media posts which contain the false and defamatory words or similar words which convey either expressly or infer the same meaning, from his Facebook page and/ or A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Facebook page.

The High Court is also being asked to issue an order directing the Opposition Leader to retract and apologise to the claimant for making false and defamatory statements about Mr Mustapha in words and terms to be approved by the Court.

The Agriculture Minister wants the High Court to grant an injunction restraining the Opposition Leader his servants, agents, or otherwise from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar words which are defamatory of him.

Court papers describe Mr Mustapha, who is also the Executive Secretary of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP), as “a distinguished public figure who has enjoyed local and international acclaim worldwide.”

According to the Minister, the defendant made more than one post on a single issue intended to speak to the same issue in a manner and tone defamatory of him.

Representing Mr Minister are Attorneys-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin and Khalif A. Gobin.