In news of other notable libel suits, former KHMH director of Finance Carlos Perera has sued Channel 7 News for libel. He says that we defamed him in our reporting on the investigation into two vans acquired by the KHMH. The matter has been referred to our attorney Godfrey Smith - and is at the preliminary stages, so that's not really news, not yet at least.
But what is news is that Perera's attorney is none other than the Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley.
Bradley, as is well known, moonlights as a private attorney. For a mayor elected to, and paid in a full time post, it is a practice frowned upon by many - but, strictly speaking, it's not disallowed because the law is silent on it.
But now, Bradley becomes the first sitting, elected holder of public office to initiate a libel suit against a media house. It may seem counter-intuitive for any politician seeking a future in politics to take up a law-suit against an independent media house, but Bradley, as is well known, marches to his own drum.
We'll see if that drum leads him all the way to court, where, we are told, he is also suing Channel 5 on Perera's behalf.
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