CHARRANDASS Persaud was on Monday awarded $7 million in damages after he won a libel suit against A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) parliamentarian Khemraj Ramjattan.

The lawsuit relates to libellous statements made after passage of the no-confidence motion in December 2018.

The damages, in the claim filed by Persaud in 2019, were awarded this week by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow at the Demerara High Court.

Charrandass’ attorneys were Christopher Ram and Christopher Thompson.

Persaud had made a claim for $30 million in damages against Ramjattan, a former Public Security Minister under the then-coalition government, whom, Persaud said, accused him of collusion with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) which was then the parliamentary opposition.

Making history in December 2018, Persaud, while a government-aligned MP voted in favour of a no-confidence motion against his colleagues in government. The motion was tabled in the National Assembly by the PPP/C.

Persaud had immediately fled Guyana after the successful passage of the motion and was living in Canada.

According to the court document, Persaud, the claimant, contended that these published statements were intended to and had the effect of “lowering his reputation, character, morality and honesty as an attorney at law in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public.”

Among other things, Persaud further said that he was humiliated by verbal abuse on social media and in public.

He said the comments have also caused him to suffer what he referred to as drastic psychological effects.

He indicated that the comments made by Ramjattan caused his family to be taunted, insulted, and caused them to suffer anxiety.

Persaud further contended that all of the publications were blatantly false assertions.

He claimed that both in their natural and ordinary meaning and by innuendo and implication, the statements are understood to mean that he was dishonest and accepted monetary or other inducements or benefits for his vote in the National Assembly.

Ramjattan, in his defence, used “justification and fair comment” to support his actions. He also pleaded that the statements were all of a political nature and made in a political context.

Justice Barlow, having examined the evidence, found that Ramjattan’s statements were defamatory and was intended to lower Persaud’s image among “right-thinking members of society and expose him to hatred, contempt or ridicule and cause other persons to shun or avoid him.”

Taking all of the foregoing matters into account, the judge awarded damages in the sum of $7 million. Ramjattan was ordered to pay $150,000 as costs, payable on or before August 25, 2022.