Weeks after announcing that he would go after his former friend and tenant, Chinese businessman Su Zhi Rong, Guyana’s Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the businessman over statements that the businessman made in a Vice News undercover report.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Vice President by Attorneys Manoj Narayan and C.V. Satram.

The $50 million is just one of the reliefs being sought in the lawsuit, according to one of the Attorneys.

In the lawsuit, which was seen by News Source, Mr. Jagdeo through his Attorneys stated that the statements made by Mr. Su Zhi Rong that were contained in the news broadcast clearly imputed criminal and unlawful conduct on the part of the Vice President and the said words were calculated to disparage Mr. Jagdeo personally and in the office he now holds.

The Attorneys describe the statements made by Mr. Su as defamatory and slanderous, adding that the statements have caused serious injury to the Vice President’s reputation and his political standing locally and internationally.

According to the lawsuit, owing to the statements that were aired in the documentary, the claimant, Vice President Jagdeo has suffered public condemnation, humiliation, ridicule, and embarrassment.

In the explosive undercover investigation, the Chinese businessman was recorded leveling bribery and corruption allegations against the Vice President. He was recorded telling the Vice News team who posed as investors that bribes would have to be paid to the Vice President for them to be guaranteed contracts in Guyana and be given the all-clear for their investment.

The Vice President has repeatedly denied the allegations in the extended news report which was aired on the US television network Showtime and posted on the social media site, YouTube.

The extended Youtube edition of the report has attracted more than 1.4 million views.

The Chinese businessman has not been seen or heard from, since the release of the undercover report. 

Before it was released, he had claimed that the statements attributed to him as presented to the Vice President by a Vice News reporter were false. 

When the final report was published, there were several recordings of Mr. Su making the statement.

The allegations have also triggered calls by a number of civil society groups and the Opposition for there to be a full independent investigation of the serious corruption allegations, which have all been denied by Vice President Jagdeo.

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