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Lawyer wants correction to story

Jun 14, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to the newspaper report captioned ‘Gutted body of boat collision victim found in Moruca Shallow Grave’, Stabroek News June 12, 2016. I represent the young man who was the operator of the boat that was involved in an accident which led to the untimely passing of his maternal uncle, Mohamed Abdool Shameer. Apart from the tabloid nature of the reporting, that can be characterized as scandalous and sensational, it was clearly intended to sway the Police’s thinking as they pursue their investigation in this matter.
My instructions are, there was a boating mishap involving the victim and his nephew at night in the pitch-black Pomeroon River to which the victim’s boat had no light. Moreover, at no point in time was the victim of this boating mishap gutted or murdered by anyone. I am further instructed that persons who you have interviewed and are the most vocal in the complaint, sought to gain financially from this mishap and they were rebuffed by my client and his relatives. It is moreover scandalous to suggest that the body was in a ‘shallow grave’, conjuring images of Babita Sarjoo, and that, ‘a wooden stave was inserted into his chest pinning the victim down to prevent it from floating away’, again conjuring images of my client behaving like a marauding barbarian.
Was any of the above corroborated by the Police? This kind of sensationalist-style reporting reminds me of the scandal-mongering news outfit GAWKER which professional wrestler Hulk Hogan successfully sued and was awarded $150M U.S.D. in a libel action. Stabroek News’ reputation as a first quality local newspaper will continue to be eroded away by ignoring basic tenants of journalism, including the requirement to verify its facts.
It is additionally highly irresponsible for your newspaper to suggest that my client is “engaged in some fishy business with the Police” and to suggest that he plans to flee the jurisdiction. In fact, he is on Police bail, reporting twice a week to Charity Police Station and as required by the Eve Leary Police Station. He has abided by all the terms of Police Bail. Any proper journalistic investigation would have revealed this by checking with the Criminal Investigation Division, Eve Leary, or with the Charity Police Station.
But this would have diluted the tabloid nature of your story, as it was hell-bent on pursuing a twisted account of what transpired. At this juncture I do not wish to comment any further on this matter which is under Police investigation, but urge you, to exercise restraint as your story is libelous, and to accord appropriate and prominent space to correct the inaccuracies of your story.
Jerome Khan
Attorney-at-law

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