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Ed Ahmad granted default judgment against journalist Travis Chase
Travis Chase
Kaieteur News – The high court has granted a default judgment against Guyanese journalist, Travis Chase in a libel suit brought against him by US-based Guyanese businessman, Ed Ahmad. Chase has since said he will appeal the judgment.
The default judgment granted by Justice Fidela Corbin at the Georgetown High Court after Chase failed to put in a defence against the libel claim by Ahmad.
According to the judgment order seen by this newspaper, after the business instituted the libel proceedings, Marshals of the Supreme Court of Judicature made two (2) unsuccessful attempts to effect service of these proceedings on Chase.
The document noted that the first unsuccessful attempt was made on the 18th February, 2025, at Lot 1 Republic Drive, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD); the address of HPGTV Nightly News, where he is a news presenter.
“On the 18th February, 2025, a female adult at the said address informed the Marshal of the Supreme Court that Chase ‘was not available.”
As a result, the Marshal of the Supreme Court was unable to effect personal service of the proceedings filed against Chase on the 26th February, 2025.
The Marshal made a second unsuccessful attempt to serve a copy of these proceedings upon Chase at Lot 1 Republic Drive, Beterverwagting, ECD.
Then on 3rd March, 2025, Mr. Roysdale Forde S.C., Attorney-at Law, wrote to Mr. Ahmad’s attorneys, Darshan Ramdhanie, KC and Rajendra Jaigobin, informing them that he acts for Mr. Chase in the proceedings and that he had instructed him to accept service on his behalf.
US-based Guyanese businessman, Ed Ahmad
Consequently, a Marshal effected service of the proceedings by serving a copy the proceedings together with Chase’s authorisation code on the chambers of Mr. Roysdale Forde S.C.
However according to the judgment order, both Chase and his lawyer failed to enter an appearance in the proceedings and also failed to serve and file a defence in high court action herein within forty-two (42) days of service, as prescribed by the Civil Procedure Rules.
As a result, Justice Corbin determined that default judgment can be granted against Chase following his failure to serve and file a defence within the period prescribed by the Civil Procedure Rules.
Ahmad had sought GY$100 million from Mr. Chase for libel. However, the quantum of the judgment is to be determined by the judge.
The court determined that Chase failed to defend whether the series of publications on his Facebook page, Travis Chase, were untrue, false, malicious and defamatory of Mr. Ahmad.
The document described Mr. Ahmad as a businessman and the owner of several businesses in Guyana and New York, United States of America, with over 200 employees. Ahmad is also a director and shareholder of companies in Guyana.
The court noted that Ahmad was convicted in the United States of America of conspiracy to commit a criminal offence in 2017, and he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment; served that time and abided by all conditions of the sentence.
However, based on his claim, Ahmad, through his lawyers, noted that the defendant is a reporter who operates the page, “Travis Chase” on Facebook, a social media platform and is a presenter and editor at HPGTV Nightly News published patently fabricated, concocted, false and malicious posts against the New York based businessman.
The offensive posts were made on 29th January, 2025, 30th January, 2025, the 31st January, 2025, the 1st February, 2025, the 9th February, 2025, the 13th February, 2025, and the 14th February, 2025 on Facebook, a social media platform which has on average of 3.065 billion monthly users throughout 157 countries.
It was noted that the effect of a Facebook publication is that it continues until it is removed by the user who published the post or by Meta, the owners of Facebook.
As of the date of the application, over 220,000 followers of Chase’s Facebook have viewed and all of the posts which are still on his Facebook page and can be read commented upon and shared. Mr. Ahmad requested that the posts be removed.
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Ed Ahmad went to jail for multi million dollar fraud.. plain and simple hes a crook… whatever is thrown at him he must accept.