The High Court has shut down attempts by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Liberty and Justice Party Leader, Lenox Shuman and two other high-profile government officials to block a series of lawsuits filed against them by former Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, over their alleged defamation of her character during and after the 2020 elections.

The Vice President and the LJP Leader along with Government Member of Parliament, Sanjeev Datadin and Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy had asked the Court to stay the civil defamation proceedings instituted against them by Myers until the criminal trials against her were over.

But today, Justice Navindra Singh denied the applications.

 Myers filed the lawsuit over statements attributed to the four men that linked her to colluding with others to rig the 2020 Elections in favor of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

The allegation formed the basis of Ms Myers’ multimillion-dollar lawsuit. While she is currently before the Magistrate Court facing charges in relation to the 2020 elections, she has always maintained her innocence.

In the High Court matter against Jagdeo and the other three officials, the former GECOM official was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Eusi Anderson who objected to the applications to stay the defamation suits on the basis that they have no bearing on the criminal proceedings.

He told the Court that the matters which commenced in October 2020 have been repeatedly delayed by the Prosecution’s appeal of the presiding Magistrate’s ruling to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the charges of laid against Myers.

The respondents, through their attorneys, argued that the stay on the proceedings was necessary, since in their view, the former GECOM Deputy Chief Election Officer had to first win her criminal case in the Magistrates Court before approaching the High Court for monetary compensation for the defamation of her character.

But Justice Singh disagreed and ruled that fairness and justice dictate that Ms. Myers be given an opportunity to have her defamation claims proceed irrespective of the outcome of the criminal trials she faces.

Justice Singh further ruled that since the criminal proceedings are nowhere near commencement, he will proceed with case management of all the defamation matters on March 3, 2023.

In a statement, Myers said her “claim of damages for defamation against Jagdeo, Datadin, Shuman and Ramsammy, worth in excess of $450million, is now cleared to start as early March, 2023 because Justice Singh refused the applications for the stay.”

The Vice President had accused Ms Myers of holding the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh hostage at GECOM’s Command Centre on March 5, 2020 while the others have been accused of slandering her in the local newspapers and online.

Vice President Jagdeo was represented by Devindra Kissoon while MP Datadin was represented by Donovan Rangiah.

Dr. Ramsammy was represented by Satram and Associates and Mr. Shuman by Donovan Rangiah.

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