BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (MARCH 11TH 2004) – The opposition People’s Action Movement (PAM) newspaper was ordered Thursday to pay two government ministers a total of EC$95,000 for libel.
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court Judge, His Lordship Mr. Justice Don Mitchell, Q.C., handed down judgments Thursday in the two libel suits brought by Minister of Tourism, Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hon. Dwyer Astaphan and Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Cooperatives, Lands and Housing, Hon. Cedric Liburd against The Democrat Newspaper.
Mr. Liburd was awarded EC$35,000.00 in damages (including costs), while Mr. Astaphan, was awarded $50,000.00 in damages plus costs of $10,000.00. Both Ministers have expressed satisfaction with the judgments.
This was Minister Astaphan’s second judgment against The Democrat for libel, the first award being for $35,000 plus costs.
The two Government Ministers were represented by Mr. Glenford Hamilton and Mr. Jason Hamilton of the law firm of Hamilton and Co., while The Democrat was represented by Mr. Terence Byron.
Two other senior government officials, Chief Secretary, Mr. Joseph Edmeade and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Erasmus Williams, were recently awarded EC$35,000 and EC$25,000 respectively, for libel against the Democrat in separate matters.
