Samuels headed to court over ‘shady’ comments

FORMER Australian cricketer Geoff Lawson will have to defend comments he made on a radio programmme about West Indies batting star Marlon Samuels.Samuels has told sportsmax.tv his lawyers have filed a defamation suit against Lawson for the suggestion, he is mixed up with ‘shady’ characters in the Caribbean.
“He’s tied up with some shady people back in the West Indies … he’s a guy you don’t muck around with on or off the field,” Lawson is alleged to have said.
Lawson’s comments went even further, saying that the Jamaican heritage of Samuels makes him a dangerous man.
He’s from Kingston, Jamaica, it’s one of the murder capitals of the world … he’s tied up with gangs there, it goes well beyond cricket,” Lawson had said.
Samuels is also suiing journalist, James Matthey, along with news.com.au. The journalist, using news.com.au is also alleged to have suggested Samuels is involved with gangsters.
Big Sports Breakfast radio, which aired Lawson’s comments, has also been named in the suit.
According to Samuels, making irresponsible statements about athletes without repercussions needs to stop.
“I wish to avoid any public figure from making insulting or false allegations against an athlete using the media, without any evidence or foundation and to go unpunished,” said Samuels.
Samuels says his integrity and image have been brought into question by the comments and he intends to rectify that situation.
“Through this case, I intend, not only to defend my integrity and my image as an international cricketer, but also the values I have defended all my career,” the West Indies batsman said.
Should Samuels be compensated, his much-publicised charity, the Marlon Samuels Society for the Blind will also receive a little boost.
“If I win this case any compensation awarded I will donate some of the proceeds to the Marlon Samuels Society for the Blind in Jamaica.” (Sportsmax.com)

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