Now Suruj suing Warner
By Ria Taitt Political Editor
Story Created: Jul 25, 2013 at 9:57 PM ECT
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Story Updated: Jul 26, 2013 at 12:04 AM ECT )
Jack Warner was motivated by “personal spite and/or ill will” towards Local Government Minister Suruj Rambachan because he holds him responsible for his removal as a Minister of Government.
This is the contention in a pre-action protocol letter filed yesterday by attorneys representing Rambachan against Warner for statements made at a Chaguanas by-election campaign meeting on Tuesday. The attorneys are Larry Lalla and Pamela Elder SC.
Given the strong animosity between the two men, it was only a matter of time before their hostility would have spilled over into the courts.
The letter accused the Independent Liberal Party (ILP) interim leader of making defamatory statements on Tuesday at a public political meeting at New Settlement, Charlieville.
According to the legal letter, Warner made the following “defamatory statements”: “Ask yourself why Minister Rambachan who lives in Chaguanas and who was a former mayor of the Chaguanas Borough Corporation...has...not spoken...on Ms Ameen’s platform?..I am putting it to you tonight that Suruj can’t because he is afraid of being exposed by me. For if this country has two corrupt Ministers, Suruj Rambachan alone is 16. I have the facts but here and now is not the place for that.”
The letter noted that Warner at a public meeting on May 5 described Rambachan as “the most vindictive” among “a cabal” of Ministers against him.
The letter stated that Warner made the “clear and unequivocal statement that the Honourable Minister is equivalent of 16 corrupt Ministers without advancing any evidence whatsoever to prove the veracity of his statement”.
“The intended defendant (Warner) made the statements in order to discredit the Minister of Works and Infrastructure and Local Government, who is a member of the United National Congress, and to advance support for the intended defendant’s political party, the Independent Liberal Party. The intended defendant made the statements for the purposes of advancing his own political ambitions to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West and/or to score political points over the Honourable Minister of Works and Infrastructure and Local Government and/or to give vent to his own personal spite or ill will towards him.
The letter claimed the words used by Warner “in their natural and ordinary meaning” “meant and were understood to mean”:
1) that Rambachan was guilty of an offence or offences contrary to the Prevention of Corruption Act;
2) acted in breach of the Integrity in Public Life Act; committed acts that are corrupt and/or illegal and /or improper and has thereby engaged in criminality;
3) committed misbehaviour/misfeasance in public office; acted dishonestly and improperly in the exercise of powers vested in him of virtue of the Office which he holds and in the performance of his duties in public office;
4) committed acts which are deserving of investigation and censure of the Integrity Commission;
5) was guilty of corruption, abuse of power or misconduct in public office and 6) was unfit to hold public office and lacks integrity in the discharge of the duties of such office and/or calling.
The letter is demanding an unqualified apology in terms to be approved by Senior Counsel; a written assurance and undertaking not to repeat the defamatory statement; payment of a substantial sum of damages for the injury to Rambachan’s reputation and the embarrassment and distress caused to him and costs incurred to date. Warner has 14 days to respond.
Minister of the People Glenn Ramadharsingh has also initiated legal proceedings against Warner for his allegation that a Minister owned six palatial houses and several foreign bank accounts, whereas before 2010, the minister couldn’t even buy two doubles.
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