Latest update November 22nd, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- Exxon wants new oil block on own terms
- Indian companies eye Guyana’s oil
- ICC issues arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu for ‘war crimes’ in Gaza
- Developing countries should not be curtailed in exploiting natural resources- PM Modi tells Parliament
- Jagdeo was sold expired soft drink at Marriott Hotel
New GPC boss sues K-News twice in two days for $200M
Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop has sued the publishers of Kaieteur News for another $100 million.
Ramroop owns the government-friendly Guyana Times and Channel 28. But his major businesses are a string of pharmaceutical and several other companies. Opposition parties and at least one major pharmaceutical importer have stated that Ramroop is favoured in the award of contracts for the importation of medical drugs.
New GPC boss, Dr. Ranjisinghi Ramroop
This contention is the subject of the latest libel suit. On Wednesday, Ramroop filed a libel suit over a ‘Dem boys seh” column, seeking damages in excess of $100 million.
In the action filed yesterday, Ramroop seeks to muzzle Kaieteur News from reporting on the importation contracts he gets from the government.
He specifically asks the court to restrain Kaieteur News from publishing the words contained in an article on June 8, 2012, which was headlined “Importers cry foul at US$6.5 secret pharmaceutical award to Ramroop’s New GPC.”
In court documents, Ramroop said that the words were falsely and maliciously published and were defamatory.
He said that article was written to mean that the New GPC benefited from a contract for the supply of goods valued at US$6.5 million and that this was in breach of the Procurement Act.
Further, Ramroop states that the article was written to mean that the May 30, 2011 contract for the supply and delivery of pharmaceuticals was required by the Procurement Act to be advertised and put out for tender and the New GPC benefited from the non-tendering of the said contract.
According to Ramroop, the article was written to say that the contract was corrupt.
He said that these ‘imputations, inferences and conclusions” are false and malicious. He said that the Kaieteur News was reckless and indifferent and was intended to scandalize him and cause him “public opprobrium.”
In court documents, Ramroop claims to have fixed moveable and immovable assets valued at $1.2 billion, including land and buildings, plant and machinery, office equipment and furniture and motor vehicles located at Farm, East Bank Demerara and elsewhere in Guyana.
In his writ Tuesday, Ramroop said that he is the owner of Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, Queens Atlantic Investment Inc., New GPC and several companies. He wants the court to block Kaieteur News from further publishing a column, Dem boys seh, that appeared in the newspaper on Monday, June 11, 2012.
Ramroop claims that he was the one referred to in the June 11, 2012 ‘Dem boys seh”. In his affidavit of support, Ramroop stated that the words in the article referred to him and that the words were false, malicious and defamatory.
He said that the article was written to mean that he is a thief, that he is not a medical practitioner, and that he holds an honorary PhD and not a medical degree. He said that the article suggests that he committed the offence of simple larceny and other types of larceny.
He said that he relies on his reputation, goodwill and integrity in business dealing both in Guyana and internationally for various transactions and in his professional qualifications.
Dr. Ramroop said that the article accused him of a criminal offence and disparaged him in relation to his profession and his business.
In the documents filed by his attorney Ronald G. Burch-Smith, Dr. Ramroop said that he is a businessman since 1991.
Ramroop said he has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the Indira Gandhi Medical College at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. He said he also has a Bachelor of Science degree from Indore University, Madhya Pradesh, India.
He said he is a registered Medical Practitioner, fully up to date with all his Continuing Medical Education obligations.
He said he worked at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Guyana Sugar Corporation and practiced privately from 1987 to 1999.
He accuses Kaieteur News of referring to himself and former President Jagdeo as sharing a close personal relationship.
Former President Jagdeo had publicly declared that Ramroop is his best friend when questions began to surface about how Ramroop acquired the Sanata Complex.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A false panacea for electoral integrity
…Peeping Tom kaieteur News – Advocates for fingerprint verification in Guyana’s elections herald it as... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
