Appliance Traders Ltd (ATL) Group Chairman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart says he is “constrained to initiate legal action against The Gleaner Company” in the sum of J$17.5 billion after the publication of a story on the newspaper’s website last Friday which Stewart said was false and defamatory.
Following is a statement on the matter issued by Stewart today.
The publication on The Gleaner’s website dated Friday, March 11, 2016 at 5:21 pm in which The Gleaner published a report under the name: Barbara Gayle, Justice Co-ordinator, that the shares of businessman Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart in Gorstew have been frozen due to his failure to pay legal cost to the tune of J$40 million to one Noel Sloley is false and defamatory.
This publication was and is factually incorrect. The freezing order in question is in respect of costs claimed by Jamaica Tours Limited, which is the subject of ongoing litigation in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
The publication therefore in The Gleaner is false, malicious and defamatory of Mr Stewart and has caused significant damage, not only to his reputation, but the companies which he represents.
This publication has had significant negative impact on the Sandals brand, which is the Caribbean’s leading global brand, and also the ATL brand, resulting in significant losses. The publication was made without any reference to or consultation with Mr Stewart or his representative(s) to verify the truthfulness or otherwise of the story.
In the circumstances, in defence of his reputation and the various companies in which he has an interest, Mr Stewart is constrained to initiate legal action against The Gleaner Company to protect his and the companies he represents reputation, and to seek damages in the region of some J$17.5 billion, approximately US$143 million, a conservative estimate.
We need to start send them people here back to them country
And which country is that since a right a Jamdung him born? Unless u know something wah me nuh know..which country him come from?
On another note, him account still frozen, becaz a money him owe and nuh wahn pay it nuh true? such unu dus mek wi know seh is a regular ting a gwahn wid him, him nuh like pay but always want to be paid on time all di time, again is not like it not “freezed”…kmt Gleaner fi dus seh is a typo wid di name and ting…lol
Say it ain’t so! You aware of Jamaican history or nah? We think a de $18000 peeps them we did have to deal with.
Butch Jamaican lineage may go farther back in jamaica than yours. Not all white people were slave owners or rich then or rich now. We just have a habit of frying everybody inna de same bad oil an done :ngakak
Not all “may” have been rich as you suggest, but they sure as HELL is privilege and influential and was privileged and influential, then. I speak as a descendant from both sides of this great divide and I can tell you privilege and influence (especially influence) is far greater than wealth. So, him inna the same “bad oil”.
So di owner of the Observer a go after the Gleaner–LOL?
Well,he’s got a PM that he bought,one that love sue.
Gleaner should counter sue.He published an article in the observer yesterday that was a public service announcement rather than a news story.Since the JLP win he’s yapping like in the days when he owned PJ.
Well if the story isn’t true then it is simply untrue.Hardly matters who owns what paper.Butch Stewart is a born Jamaican so where is the country we suppose to send him back too agen??
The Gleaner is a JLP paper and the whole purpose of the Observer was so that their would be a PNP friendly outlet to counter the Gleaner… Butch Stewart need fi go hold a seat.
Lalibela Nile u dunce nuh f**k. The Gleaner is the PNP newspaper and the Observer is JLP smh
Haha, Anonymous, are you serious? You honestly don’t know what you are talking about. The Gleaner has always supported the JLP. This is the said paper that worked with the Opposition Party to go after Michael Manley and if you have the requisite cerebral faculty you would see that the Observer was in the pocket for the PNP and the Gleaner was in the pocket for the JLP–especially in this last election cycle.
Nice try but you don’t know what you are talking about. Why don’t you reveal yourself–after all, this is social media?
Gleaner had it coming. Good fi dem