HEAD of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Assistant Commissioner of Police Fazil Karimbaksh has taken legal action against Leroy Smith, owner of “Big Smith News Watch”, for alleged defamatory remarks made on the news platform.
In a legal notice filed by Attorneys-at-Law Satram and Satram, Karimbaksh is seeking an immediate retraction and public apology for an article titled, “BREAKING: SOCU head gave Brutus/wife large amount of cash on Wedding Day but remained silent”.

The article, published on Smith’s platform, raised questions about the origins of a $40 million deposit made by Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus following his wedding, while alleging that Karimbaksh had given the couple a significant sum of cash on their wedding day.
In addition to this article, two more publications by the platform are at the centre of the defamation claim.

One article, “No Listed Qualifications for SOCU Head to Support Promotion to DC”, questioned Karimbaksh’s professional qualifications, and suggested that he lacked the academic credentials to justify his anticipated promotion to Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The article also published what purported to be an Excel table of his qualifications.

The third article, titled, “Text from Gov’t Min. Exposes Plot to Have SOCU Target Top Cop/Brutus”, further implicated Karimbaksh by suggesting he was part of a scheme to target senior police officials, and implied political interference in his professional conduct.
Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Anand Persaud has also issued a formal demand for a retraction and apology from Smith.

The attorneys representing Karimbaksh stated that these publications collectively conveyed the notion that Karimbaksh is corrupt, involved in bribery, and politically compromised in his leadership of SOCU.
They said that these remarks, shared widely and viewed by over 30,000 people and shared by more than 1,500—have caused significant reputational damage to their client.
“The publications and remarks about our client are completely untrue and defamatory.

“We are instructed to demand, as we hereby do, that you immediately publish a full and complete retraction and apology in terms approved by our client.
“Legal proceedings will be instituted against you to recover damages, if the same can’t be agreed, for the reputational harm caused to our client as a result of the statements you have published,” the letter from Satram and Satram stated.