Moonilal takes PM to court

OROPOUCHE East candidate for the United National Congress (UNC) Dr Roodal Moonilal has taken legal action against the Prime Minister, a daily newspaper and its editor in chief for defamation.

He is seeking an injunction restraining Dr Rowley and the Trinidad Express from publishing defamatory statements against him.

In the statement of case, filed by attorneys Larry Lalla and Vashisht Seepersad, Moonilal took issue with a page three story in the Express on January 6, which purportedly reported on an exchange of messages between the prime minister and Kirk Waithe, leader of the NOW party.

The alleged messages mentioned Moonilal’s name, another UNC candidate and Eden Gardens.

According to the documents filed by Moonilal’s attorneys, he intends to rely on the article for its full purport and effect.

The claim says the ordinary, reasonable reader on reading Rowley’s statements will believe him to be referring to a civil claim now before the courts.

In that claim, which alleges fraud in the Housing Development Corporation’s 2012 purchase of 50.5 acres at Eden Gardens in Freeport, Moonilal is not named as one of the defendants.

Moonilal’s defamation lawsuit against Rowley and the newspaper says by juxtaposing “the outright and humongous thievery of the many UNC operatives” with his allegation that he (Moonilal) had “questions” to answer in relation to Eden Gardens, “inferred, implied and intentionally conveyed to the reader of the statement that the claimant was involved in illegal and corrupt activities in relation to the said project.”

The claim alleges that the words published, in their natural and ordinary meaning, meant that Moonilal was involved in corrupt activities involving $120 million in relation to a project called Eden Gardens, had questions to answer concerning the “outright and humongous thievery” in relation to the project; illegally misappropriated public funds; committed white-collar crimes, was a criminal, was corrupt, dishonest and deserves to be condemned and ridiculed.

The lawsuit provided a history of the Eden Gardens civil suit filed by the Attorney General against eight people, among them former HDC managing director Jearlean John and two companies.

It said, as prime minister Dr Rowley ought to have known that Moonilal was not the subject of any investigation in relation to the project. It added that there was no justification for publishing the statements except to “unjustifiably bring the claimant into disrepute, odium and public scandal.”

The lawsuit also referred to the PM’s response to a pre-action protocol letter sent in January, adding that by admitting he has made very “careful statements” on matters of public interest in the public domain, meant that the words were “well thought about, based on facts, and were truthful.”

It also quoted statements made by Rowley at a cocktail event hosted by the PNM in January in which he spoke of the threat of legal action by Moonilal’s attorneys.

The Prime Minister expressed his readiness to head to court over the threats.

The lawsuit added that the falsities written of Moonilal has led to damage to his professional and personal reputation and will be seeking an injunction against the Prime Minister as well as damages for libel.

In a statement on Sunday, Moonilal said he decided to take “strong and decisive action” for the remarks involving himself.

“I am aware it is silly season and there will be rum shop talk on the platform,” he said, adding that he was prepared to sue anyone “ten times between now and August 10” for “making wild and reckless statements.”

“Enough is enough,” he added.

He also took notice of newspaper articles on Sunday which spoke of police investigations into the dealings of the Estate Management Business Development Company.

Moonilal said it was an old issue which surfaced in 2016, and was the most “expensive witch hunt which has not found a witch.”

He said the millions of British pounds spent on hiring a UK prosecution and investigations firm could have been better spent on saving children’s lives.

Moonilal also claimed the contract with the UK firm was expected to be renewed on Friday.

“They are using this like a road march. It is political mischief coming two days after nomination day. This is to distract from their failure to deliver goods and service.”