Broomes slaps "Guyanese Critic" with $450M lawsuit for defamation and libel

Human Rights activist and former Government Minister Simona Broomes, has filed a $450 Million lawsuit against social media personality turned contractor, Mikhail Rodrigues aka “Guyanese Critic” over several statements he made against her on his morning programme, which was broadcast on Facebook.

The Court action was filed through the Dexter Todd Law Firm and a battery of lawyers.

The lawsuit details that on one of his morning programmes which was aired on the 22nd January 2024, Rodrigues made several libelous and defamatory statements against Ms. Broomes.

In addition to claiming that she once operated a “whore house” in the mining community and was involved in the trafficking of persons, Rodrigues also claimed that the former Government Minister received a US$225,000 scholarship from Government and was involved in scams.

The lawsuit details that on the same programme, Rodrigues claimed that Ms. Broomes was involved in shutting down various mining operations in the interior region to benefit her own.

All of the statements made by Rodrigues during the morning programme have been rubbished by Broomes and her Attorneys. They are seeking the award of damages in various amounts for the various defamatory and libelous statements they said he made. In total, they are seeking $450 Million from Rodrigues.

The Attorneys, Dexter Todd, Dexter Smartt, Shercola Exeter, Jevon Cox, Candaice Adams and Donette Anthony, are also seeking an injunction on behalf of the former Minister, that would restrain Rodrigues, his servants and or his agents, from further publishing or causing to be publish, any statement by him that would convey the impression that she was involved in human trafficking, being the recipient of a US$225,000 Government scholarship, that she took part in the operations of a “whorehouse”, that she was involved in the shutting down of mining operations to benefit her own, and that she incited public terror.

They also want the Court to order Rodrigues to remove the offending programme from all social media platforms, to retract his statements and issue an apology to Ms. Broomes.

The lawsuit covers several parts of the broadcast that was done by Rodrigues and the many statements he made at various points in relation to Broomes.

He was served with the Court documents this morning.

Broomes, who is a former Government Minister under the last APNU+AFC Government, is well known for her humanitarian and community work. She was awarded by the US State Department in 2013 as an International Hero in the fight against human trafficking.