Raymond Dokpesi, chairman of DAAR
communications, has asked Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture,
retract his name from the looters list or be prepared to face a N5 billion
suit.
The minister had at a press
conference listed Dokpesi, who is standing trial for allegedly receiving N2.1
billion from the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), as part of
those who looted the country’s treasury.
Responding in a letter dated
April 4, Mike Ozekhome, Dokpesi’s counsel, asked Mohammed to “immediately”
publish a retraction in four newspapers and pay a sum of N500 million.
Ozekhome said if the minister
fails to comply with their “minimal demands”, they would have no choice but to
commence legal action against him.
“Contrary to your derogatory,
disparaging, mendacious and unrestrained defamatory statements, as published in
various print, electronic and online media platforms, of and concerning our
client, our client has never been associated with the looting of the public
treasury,” the letter read.
“Before the court where he is
currently standing trial on trumped up charges brought against him by your same
federal government, he has categorically and unambiguously denied the said
charges. At the ongoing trial which has been stalled serially by the federal
government with series of requests for adjournment, our client has neither been
found guilty nor convicted by the trial court or by any other court in Nigeria.
“The brazen defamatory
statements/ publications of alleged looting of the public treasury mentioned by
you against our client are most damaging and clearly rubbish the hard-earned
reputation of our client. Our client has since received several and unending
phone calls, mails and visits from relatives, friends, associates, as well as
other well meaning Nigerians, who have ceaselessly called to express their
shock over the vile allegations in the said publications.
“Our client has suffered severe
public odium, approbrium, ridicule, psychological trauma, untold embarrassment
and countless business losses consequent upon your reckless publication which
has put him in bad light before reasonable members of the society.
“Unless you carry out the above
minimal demands immediately, to redress the incalculable damage done to our
client’s [image], we shall, without any further communication from us, commence
legal action against you to redress your unrestrained and unwarranted assault
against our client’s hard earned image and reputation.
“We shall, in such circumstances,
be demanding for damages in the sum of N5 billion.”
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lai pls learn how to get facts b4 opening your mouth,
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