Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall says that libel proceedings he filed against former Junior Public Infrastructure Minister, Jaipaul Sharma will be amended to factor in comments he subsequently made in a Facebook post. Nandlall is already seeking in excess of $25 million from Sharma and a People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Member, James Bond over alleged defamatory posts they made on their Facebook accounts.
Sharma, on November 17, 2020, made statements about Nandlall’s private law firm being involved in several State land giveaways prior to the swearing in of David Granger in 2015.
The AG denied the allegations and had asked Sharma to issue an apology or he would be faced with legal actions. But Sharma refused, prompting Nandlall to move to the court.
Nandlall is seeking orders compelling Sharma to apologise and remove the post within seven days of the court orders. The AG is also seeking an injunction against publishing any similar libel.
But Sharma, less than 15 hours ago, posted that men in “heavily tinted black vehicles” were visiting his home and taking pictures of his premises.
“I am speaking to the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs of Guyana, MOHABIR Nandlall, please STOP the State Sponsored Terrorism against my family…Call me and STOP sending GUN MEN at my home under the pretext that your people have to meet me in person. If you have anything to serve me with, call me on my cell and I will make myself available,” Sharma said.
On one occasion, Sharma related that his worker was questioned by one of the visitors about his whereabouts.
“The young man came out and spoke to my worker, finding out if I am at home and he told the young man ‘no’, and the young man asked when I will be home and the worker said that he do [sic] not know. The SUV drove away. However, my worker reported to my wife that the SUV in which the young man came out of had other men inside with BLACK CLOTHES, BULLET, BULLETPROOF VEST and LONG GUNS,” Sharma said.
But Nandlall proffered a different version. He said that proceedings are to be served by a Marshal of the High Court, personally, on the Defendants, as is required by law.
“Yesterday evening, the letter was delivered to his residence at Diamond Housing Scheme by my driver, driving a Government-owned black Land Cruiser bearing the plates PWW 6390, dressed in a white shirt jack and black trousers. Mr. Sharma and other occupants of the premises refused to accept delivery of the letter. I am informed that my driver affixed the letter to the gate of the premises and took a photo of the letter so affixed, using his cellular phone,” Nandlall said.
The AG noted that around 2pm, the vehicle with the Marshal again visited Sharma’s residence, where they met a man – supposedly Sharma’s worker. Nandlall said that the Marshal alone stepped out of the vehicle and called, and the man emerged from the house and said no one was home.
Nandlall said that Sharma’s utterances about guns are false and constitute another libel.
“The legal proceedings will be amended to accommodate this new cause of action. Needless to say, my driver and the Marshal are obviously available and can be contacted independent of me, for any further assistance on this matter. The proceedings are still to be served on Mr. Sharma. Mr. Sharma’s cell number will be forwarded to the Marshal,” Nandlall noted.
