Legal action is being threatened against another person and a media organisation over alleged defamatory statements about Richard Lewis, whose services were contracted by the Board of Education as it relates to the use of his Information Technology textbooks.
Lewis is accusing James ‘Tanny’ Rose and ZDK Liberty Radio of tarnishing his character and defaming him through false statements about his work and payments received.
The author, who recently accused Prime Minister Gaston Browne of defamation and demanded a public apology, is asking Rose and ZDK to do the same thing – apologise within 14 days or be sued.
Through his lawyer, Charlesworth Tabor, Lewis pointed out that, “Were you [Rose] not so reckless, you could have easily ascertained from the Board of Education the veracity of your allegation. In fact, you stated that you obtained my client’s private financial information with the Board of Education from an employee there who used to provide you with information during the United Progressive Party administration in government, you therefore should have used that employee to ascertain the truth of your allegation.”
Rose’s allegations — which will not be repeated here, since that would amount to the same alleged defamation – were made on ZDK Radio on February 12 this year.
That’s why the station is part of the threatened legal action and is being asked to “publicly apologise for the false and damaging allegation” within 14 days from the 15 February 2019 date of lawyer Tabor’s letter.
Lewis, the senate minority leader and a United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate in last year’s general election, explained through his lawyer that if the individuals who are seeking to tarnish his name were to examine the invoices which they read out on the radio station, they would realise no illegality exists and this can be easily proven.
Two Saturdays ago, the prime minister said he would not apologise to Lewis for comments regarding his contractual arrangement with the Board of Education or for publicizing his personal earnings from that contract.