George Chelekis, Bob Shore, Market News Publishing, Bull & Bear hammered in Supreme Court of British Columbia
FYI, the judgement broke down this way: George Chelekis $425,000; Bob Shore, Market News Publishing $250,000; Bull & Bear $200,000.
Thursday 16 April 1998ÿ The Vancouver Sun
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Sun business writer wins $875,000
by Petti Fong Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Sun business writer David Baines was awarded the second-largest libel suit judgment in Canadian history on Wednesday.
Baines was awarded $875,000 plus an additional $75,000 in special costs after B.C. Supreme Court Justice John Rowan found a Florida journalist had carried on a "campaign of vilification with the intention that Baines be left with no credibility. His intent was to destroy Baines' career."
There were three defendants in the case: David J. Robinson, the Florida publisher of the Bull & Bear, Market News Publishing Inc., a
Vancouver-based electronic publisher of business news, and Florida
journalist George Chelekis.
Justice Rowan found Chelekis liable for most of the damages.
Baines, who is on vacation, was unavailable for comment.
The suit against Chelekis and the publishers was filed by lawyers for
Southam Inc., which owns The Sun, after a series of articles written by Chelekis was reprinted in the two newsletters and over the Internet.
Chelekis accused Baines of threatening his life and that of his secretary, and of working with former Vancouver Stock Exchange trader and private investigator Adrian du Plessis to manufacture negative news about selected companies to drive down the prices of their shares.
"In the course of his campaign, Chelekis manufactured three separate and deliberate lies, the first, that David Baines threatened his life; the second, that Baines was trading against his column, and third, that Baines was involved in a homosexual relationship with Adrian du Plessis," Rowan wrote in his judgment.
Rowan termed Chelekis' conduct as arrogant, vindictive and continuous during the two-year campaign against Baines.
Sun editor-in-chief John Cruickshank said the suit against Chelekis and the two publishers was not the newspaper's preferred course.
"We did it after it was clear Chelekis was attempting to destroy the
credibility and career of David Baines and damage the credibility of The Sun's business section and doing it with a calculated smear campaign fabricated entirely of lies, many of them despicable."
Baines' work has always been in the public interest, Cruickshank said.
"His powerful investigative stories about the VSE have always been
important for investors and important for the health and welfare of the
exchange itself."
The largest libel award in Canadian history was against the Church of
Scientology, which was held liable for $1.6 million over statements made about an Ontario lawyer.
Du Plessis, who has also launched a suit against Chelekis and the two publishers, said the judgement is gratifying.
"I can only hope when my lawsuit goes through the system, there will be similar results," he said.
Copyright 1998 The Vancouver Sun |
