Contempt proceedings to be filed against KNews today

LEGAL Counsel, Mr. Mahendra Satram, representing the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur, yesterday confirmed that contempt proceedings will be filed today against the Kaieteur News.

The court action follows the persistent publication of defamatory statements about the GRA Head, which represents a breach of a court order, issued last month.
Satram, in a letter seen by the Guyana Chronicle last week, had indicated that legal recourse to address this breach is imminent.
He said, “[We] have successfully secured an injunction against all of these parties from publishing libelous statements carried in the Kaieteur News newspaper.
“…the defendants have all been in contempt of court for flagrant disregard of the order of[the] court and appropriate action against these parties is imminent.
“These persons have now published several unfounded and unsubstantiated statements suggesting that the Commissioner-General has committed gross professional misconduct together with statements purportedly made by executives of the Institute/Association (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana (ICAG).”

COURT ORDER
Justice Sandra Kurtzious, in the latter part of September,had granted the injunction against Kaieteur News, preventing the daily newspaper from publishing defamatory statements about the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr. Khurshid Sattaur.
She ordered that Kaieteur News refrain from further writing, printing, publishing, circulating or causing to be written, printed, published or circulated defamatory material about Sattaur.
National Media and Publishing Company Limited, publishers of the local daily, its owner Glenn Lall and editor, Mr. Adam Harris, were named in the order granting the injunction.
The injunction was granted after an Ex-Parte application filed by Sattaur’s lawyers on Wednesday. The application also called for aggravated damages in excess of $500M, for libel resulting from the false and/or malicious writings published.
The move by Sattaur’s legal representatives follows allegations, made in Kaieteur News articles and columns, which stated that: the GRA Head had compromised confidential tax information; he breached his of Oath of Office; and was involved in a plot to destroy the newspaper, among other assertions.
The new items were made public in several editions of the newspaper, including that of 31st, August, 2014; 7th September, 2014; 10th September, 2014; 11th September, 2014; 14th September, 2014; 16th September, 2014; 21st September, 2014; and the 23rd September, 2014.
The injunction is valid until a determination is made in the matter, which is expected to be heard in Chambers on October 14, 2014 at 09:00hrs. On October 14, the defendants were granted time (leave) to provide an affidavit in answer, however, the injunction still stands. The named defendants will be liable for failing to comply with Justice Kurtzious’s Order.