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Former Finance Minister secures $7.5M judgment against KN
Kaieteur News
– decision to be appealed
Kaieteur News – Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan has secured a $7.5 million judgment against Kaieteur News. The judgment was handed down by Justice Fidela Corbin on Friday. The newspaper has since taken steps to appeal the decision.
Former Kaieteur News Editor-in-Chief, Adam Harris
Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Back in 2019, Jordan had filed a lawsuit for libel against Kaieteur News and its then Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris, seeking damages of over $50M for libel.
The libel was allegedly committed by the newspaper on October 18, 2019, when it published a letter to the editor under the caption, “Terminate a monster in its shell or it will come back to haunt you.”
According to the suit, the article portrayed the minister as “corrupt, immoral and was capable of corruptly influencing and or affecting and did so corruptly influence or affect a decision to terminate a Contract between ‘the Trinidadian Company’ and GuyOil and criminal means.”
The former minister also sought $50M in damages for libel allegedly committed by the online version of the newspaper on October 18, 2019, when it published the article.
According to the lawsuit, as a result of the headlines and articles and its dissemination, both online and offline, the claimant’s personal and professional reputation and standing has been irreparably and severely damaged, lowered in the estimation of right-thinking members of society and the Claimant has suffered and continues to suffer financial injury, constant distress, humiliation, embarrassment, indignity, pain and suffering.
The statement of claim avers that the words meant and were understood to mean that the Claimant required a bribe, caused or conspired with others to require or request a bribe, if the bribe was paid to the Claimant a contract between “the Trinidadian Company” and GuyOil would not have been terminated and that the Claimant was capable of corruptly influencing and or affecting and did so corruptly influence or affect a decision to terminate a contract between the “the Trinidadian Company” and GuyOil.
In determining the quantum of damages, Justice Corbin took into consideration all the circumstances including the nature and gravity of the allegation which imputed criminality and dishonesty to the Claimant, the effect which it may have on the Claimant’s feelings 15 and in mitigation, the fact that the Defendants published an apology.
Taking all the aggravating and mitigating factors into consideration and having regard to the purpose of an award of damages, the judge determined damages in the sum of $7,500,000.00.
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