Tobago businessman Allan Warner, and his son Aluko, have won a defamation matter against Guardian Media Limited.
Warner will receive $200,000 in general and aggravated damages. His son Aluko will receive $110,000.
The court also ordered that the Warners be paid $17,559.60 in pre-judgment interest, calculated at 2.5% per annum from June 24, 2024. They are also to receive legal costs from the media house.
The order was handed down by Justice Vigel Paul who also ordered the media company to remove or edit the article from its website and delete related social media posts, while restraining Guardian Media Limited from republishing the offending material.
The written ruling is expected to be delivered next week.
The lawsuit arose from a May 12, 2024, article published in the Sunday Guardian and on its website, titled “Going after ‘untouched masterminds’ in illegal quarrying”.
The Warners contended that the publication unfairly linked them to criminal activities associated with illegal quarrying, including gang-related activity and allegations of corruption involving public officials.
They argued that the article was published without adequate verification and that its presentation encouraged readers to associate them with criminal conduct, despite Aluko Warner having pleaded not guilty to a criminal charge.
In their claim, Warner and his son said the publication caused considerable damage to their personal reputations and business interests, leaving them embarrassed and subjected to scrutiny from relatives, associates and members of the business community.
They also said the allegations affected their families, who were left distressed by what they described as repeated attacks on their characters.
Guardian Media Limited was given 14 days to remove the May 12 article from its website or edit it to remove the offending material. The company was also directed to delete related posts from its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Attorney Farai Hove Masaisai represented the Warners.
