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Kissoon wraps up testimony in Jagdeo libel case

Jan 24, 2014 News

One of the defendants in the Bharrat Jagdeo libel suit case, Frederick Kissoon, wrapped up his testimony in the High Court yesterday before Justice Barrington Reynolds, following re-examination by his Attorney Nigel Hughes.
The former president is suing Kissoon, the National Media and Publishing Company, publishers of Kaieteur News and Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris for over $10M, claiming libel in a Kaieteur News article published more than three years ago.
Jagdeo is claiming that Kissoon wrote insinuating that the former Head of State exercised ideological racism during his time in office.
Senior Counsel Bernard de Santos closed his cross-examination of Kissoon on Wednesday after asking about Kissoon’s study of public individuals. De Santos questioned Kissoon as to whether during his career he would have studied other public officials as consistently as he did with the former President.
Kissoon replied in the negative, before stating that Jagdeo was in power for 12 years and he would have come into the area of commentary, because the President is the most powerful person in the country.
De Santos went on to ask for the names of three other persons who Kissoon would have reported on consistently. Those persons Kissoon named were former Police Commissioner Henry Greene, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee and President Donald Ramotar.
Kissoon, when asked by De Santos, said that he did not have a friendly relationship with the former President. He was then asked for his opinion as to what impact he felt his article on Jagdeo had on Guyana, but Hughes objected to the question, stating that it was searching for an opinion.
The court upheld the objection. De Santos then put it to Kissoon that he has “morbid obsession” with the former President.
Hughes’ re-examination saw Kissoon explaining how he would have had the designation of an individual in his June 2010 research report before the appointment was even made.
Before Kissoon could explain, Hughes reminded the court that that was a question raised earlier by De Santos, but he (De Santos) had not provided evidence to prove that Kissoon spoke about the person’s appointment before it actually occurred.
Kissoon said however that he presented a summary of the actual research paper which was tendered as an exhibit in court. After further questions, Kissoon told Hughes that his research paper on Jagdeo lasted for over a year after the June 10 summary was presented at a conference on June 20, 2010.
Kissoon explained further, when asked, that former President Desmond Hoyte was not part of his research since he was found to be a “multi-racial President.” Kissoon said he did not see systematic evidence of ethnic domination, ethnic fear, ethnic preference and ethnic ideology when looking at Hoyte.
Before Kissoon answered Hughes’ question, Attorney Sase Gunraj who held for De Santos, objected to Hughes’ question on Hoyte, stating that Kissoon had answered the question already.
The court had accepted the objection but after past notes were referred to, the line of questions was allowed.

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