Edghill says has secured $15m defamation judgment against Vieira

Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill yesterday said he secured a $15m judgment against commentator Anthony Vieira over a defamatory May 4th, 2011 broadcast on CNS Channel Six.

In a release yesterday, Edghill said that on the day in question Vieira hosted a commentary aired on CNS Channel 6 in which several defamatory statements concerning Edghill were broadcast.

As a result, on the 17th of May, 2011, Edghill filed a lawsuit against Vieira and Chandra Narine Sharma, trading under the name and style of C.N.S. Channel 6 for the defamation which he said seriously damaged his reputation and caused him tremendous distress, embarrassment, public humiliation and ridicule.

Edghill said that the trial was conducted before Justice Gino Persaud who delivered his judgment on the 14th March, 2024. Edghill said that the Judge ordered:

1.            that Vieira is liable for defama-

                tion published by him on the 4th

                May, 2011, concerning Edghill;

2.            that Vieira  compensate Edghill in

                the sum of 15,000,000 being

                compensatory damages;

3.            that Sharma, trading under the

                name and style of C.N.S. Channel

                6 who is also liable for airing the

                commentary compensate Edghill

                in the sum of $250,000 being

                nominal damages since an

                apology and retraction were

                published and re-broadcast and

                repeated and the said commen-

                tary was taken off air after being

                aired only once;

4.            that both Vieira and  Sharma pay

                to Edghill costs in the sum of

                $250,000 each;

5.            that a permanent injunction is

                granted restraining the Defen-

                dants by themselves, servants

                and/or agents from repeating or

                republishing the said or similar

                libel of or concerning the

                Plaintiff.

Despite the lengthy time taken for the conclusion of the case, Edghill said he is satisfied and vindicated by the ruling of the Court and intends to ensure that all steps are taken to enforce the terms of the said Orders of Court.

The High Court Action was instituted and prosecuted by Manoj Narayan and  Chandanie Dyal, Attorneys-at-Law, of the law firm Mohabir A. Nandlall & Asso-ciates, Bhagwati Chambers, on behalf of Edghill.