Jamaican PM Suing ABC News For Defamation

June 10. 2010

Bruce Golding

Jamaican Prime Minister, Bruce Golding, has initiated legal action against ABC News, stating they have defamed him in a widely disseminated broadcast, accusing him of being associated with drug fugitive, Christopher Michael Coke A/K/A "Dudus." The FBI/DOJ's poorly handled extradition request for the drug suspect, has resulted in the deaths of 73 Jamaican police officers, military and civilians. 

ABC has been left stranded in the lurch, as the anonymous U.S. State Department source they cited in their article, has abandoned them, as it has been reported in the Jamaica Observer newspaper, "US State Department officials later denied knowledge of such a document saying instead they were working with the Jamaican prime minister in crime prevention in the island." 

If Golding files suit against ABC News in Britain, as the article was carried there as well, it will be much easier to prove damages, due to the fact libel laws in the United Kingdom are more favorable to Plaintiffs. Many high profile people in a variety of cases, have filed suit in Britain as a result.

STORY SOURCE

Bruce legal action over ABC 'Dudus' story

Wednesday, June 09, 2010 - LAWYERS representing Prime Minister Bruce Golding have written to United States-based news network ABC seeking redress for a recent newscast referring to Golding as a ‘criminal affiliate’ of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke. "It is being pursued as we speak," Information Minister Daryl Vaz told journalists at today’s post cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House. Vaz added that a statement was issued by the prime minister this week and legal action was being pursued by him “on a personal basis”...

Golding subsequently dismissed the ABC report as "extremely offensive", and charged that efforts to link him personally with the alleged drug kingpin, were “clearly part of a conspiracy to undermine the duly elected government of Jamaica”...

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com