Latest update January 3rd, 2025 4:30 AM
Latest News
- Mohameds drops lawsuit after Sgt. Bascom apologises over murder accusations
- More than 70 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza
- Berbice man drowns at Lake during New Year’s Day outing.
- Motorcycle bandits crash into Hilux to rob driver
- Jagdeo defends 4% interest on US EXIM Bank loan for Gas-to-Energy project
Sooba faces legal action over gay slurs to Deputy Mayor
A letter to Town Clerk (Ag) Carol Sooba, Wednesday, demanded that she publicly retract gay slurs made against Deputy
Town Clerk (Ag)
Carol Sooba
Mayor Patricia Chase-Green by today or face legal action. The letter sent from the law office of Moore, Harmon, Sobers and Gaskin, said that the law firm was retained by Ms. Patricia Chase-Green to do all things necessary concerning a defamatory public statement purportedly made by Sooba to the national media.
The words used by Sooba, the missive continued, “By their natural and connotative meanings and by innuendo sets out to, and did, besmirch the good name and tarnish the reputation of our client (Chase-Green).”
The firm said that on Friday July 18, 2014 it was instructed that Sooba held a media conference during which “certain statements regarding the Deputy Mayor Ms. Patricia Chase-Green and in which statements you (Sooba) made certain references to Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) and drew analogies categorizing what you perceive to be an interest in you on the part of the Deputy Mayor of Georgetown.”
The lawyer’s missive said that Chase-Green is repulsed by “your innuendo that she is attracted to you in an unnatural manner.”
“Your statements were carried in at least one daily newspaper, in Guyana and were publicized on the World Wide Web. On one website your innuendo was reported in the following manner “Sooba accuses deputy Mayor of being Gay!!”
“Your words were understood by others to mean that the Deputy Mayor is attracted to you in an unnatural manner.”
“We are instructed to call upon you, as we hereby do, to immediately issue a public retraction of your statement, together with an appropriate apology to Ms. Patricia Chase-Green, Deputy Mayor of Georgetown.”
The acting Town Clerk had expressed worry during a press conference that the Deputy Mayor may be ‘attracted” to her.
“It worries me badly. I am concerned as to why she would be so attracted to me,” she had mentioned. Sooba had stated also that in light of recent events involving LGBT persons she would have to seek protection on the issue.
Sooba was at the time claiming that the Deputy was paying a lot of attention to her and continuously involved her (Sooba) in matters addressing the Council.
Deputy Mayor
Patricia Chase-Green
The Deputy Mayor told this publication that the legal action came after Sooba would have called a press conference in the name of the Mayor and Councillors but the statements she made would have caused “great embarrassment” to the executives.
The Deputy Mayor refrained from saying more since according to her, the matter has been handed over to her lawyer.
Following Sooba’s press conference last week, the Mayor and Councillors released a public notice that any press conference held by Sooba was being done in her own capacity. Mayor Hamilton Green who sent the notice was clear that Sooba has been calling press conferences without the permission of the Council and advised the media that Sooba is an officer of the Council and her meetings were not the views of the “authorized Mayor and Councillors.”
When Kaieteur News contacted Sooba on Thursday she confirmed receiving the lawyer’s letter but offered that no apology would be made. She told the media that her lawyers had advised her to toss the letter and so she has thrown it in the bin. She said also that she awaits the Deputy Mayor’s next step since she will not be issuing an apology.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
GUYSUCO’s problems are political not managerial
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The sugar industry has been for centuries Guyana’s agricultural backbone. Yet, its struggles... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
