-plans legal action

HEAD of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Assistant Commissioner Fizul Karimbaksh, has strongly refuted allegations made in a recent article published by ‘Big Smith News Watch’ which claimed he contributed to the purchase of a $20 million property in Schoonord, West Demerara.
The article, under the headline “SOCU Head contributes 25% to Brutus $20 Million Schoonard property purchase,” has been labelled as “egregious, patently false, and libellous” by Karimbaksh, who plans to file legal proceedings against the publication and its publisher, Leroy Smith.

According to the article, Assistant Commissioner of Police Calvin Brutus alleged that Karimbaksh contributed 25 per cent of the total cost of the property, which Brutus acquired earlier this year.
The article also stated that Karimbaksh gifted Brutus and his wife a substantial monetary gift at their wedding in 2023.

Karimbaksh categorically denied the claims, stating that they are “dangerously misleading” and without merit.

In a statement, he described the article as an attack on his credibility, alleging that Smith is acting as a “hired gun” for Brutus in an effort to undermine ongoing investigations against him.
The SOCU head further suggested that these efforts could constitute an obstruction of justice, a criminal offence.

“This is the most vile abuse and misuse of press freedom,” Karimbaksh said, calling on the Guyana Press Association to intervene and address what he described as a “rogue reporter.”
He stressed that there is no evidence to support the claims made in the article.

Karimbaksh’s legal team, led by Attorneys-at-Law Satram and Satram, has already filed legal notices demanding an immediate retraction and public apology from Big Smith News Watch.
The demand stems not only from the article on the property purchase but also from a previous publication titled “BREAKING: SOCU head gave Brutus/wife large amount of cash on Wedding Day but remained silent,” which questioned the origins of a $40 million deposit made by Brutus following his wedding.

In addition to these, Karimbaksh is also pursuing legal action over two more articles published on the platform.
One titled “No Listed Qualifications for SOCU Head to Support Promotion to DC” questioned his professional qualifications, while another, “Text from Gov’t Min. Exposes Plot to Have SOCU Target Top Cop/Brutus,” implied political interference and suggested Karimbaksh was involved in targeting senior police officials.

Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Anand Persaud, who was implicated in the latter article, has also issued a formal demand for retraction and apology.
Despite the legal threats, Smith has publicly stated that he will not retract any of the articles or issue apologies.