Granted leave to file affidavit in answer
Kaieteur News columnist Freddie Kissoon, accused of libel allegedly committed against President Bharrat Jagdeo, did not appear in court yesterday when the case was called.
But his lawyers, Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan,  and Mr. Christopher Ram were present and were granted leave to file an affidavit  in answer.
The Ex-Parte Application by way of affidavit for interim injunction by President Bharrat Jagdeo resulted from an article in the Kaieteur News, under the headline “King Kong sent his goons to disrupt the conference” and dated Monday June 28, 2010.
According to the President’s affidavit, the First Named Respondent/Defendant is and was at all  material times a daily columnist with the  Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed and published by the Third Named Respondents/Defendant, a limited  liability  company, with wide circulation throughout the Guyanas, on the internet and in North America.
The Second Named Respondent is the Editor of the Kaieteur News  newspaper.
The President had said that the aforesaid libel “has caused me, the entire Government  of Guyana, great public embarrassment, held us up to odium and ridicule, both nationally and internationally.
“Additionally, Guyana is a land of six races who co-exist in harmony despite their racial, ethnic, cultural, social, religious and political differences.”
The President who is represented by Mr. Anil Nandlall, Attorney-at-Law, had prayed that the Court would grant the orders sought.
After the short  sitting  in Chambers yesterday, the lawyers on both sides  with Acting Chief Justice, Mr. Ian Chang, S.C.,  were seen chatting  outside of the court.