Gov’t mum on $35 million libel award to Clunie

Barbara Gayle, Staff Reporter

The government has not filed an appeal against the $35 million award for libel to former deputy commissioner of police Owen Clunie.

Clunie had sued former Commissioner of Police Francis Forbes and the government in 2007 to recover damages for libel.

A jury found in March that Forbes’ comments about Clunie in 2002 and repeated in 2005 were defamatory.

CVM Television, which had broadcast the comments made by Forbes during its interview programme ‘IMPACT’, was exonerated.

Forbes’ defamatory comments were linked to allegations surrounding an investigation that was being undertaken by the police.

Clunie was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing during a departmental trial presided over by retired High Court judge, Justice Martin Wright.

Yesterday, attorney-at-law Alando Terrelonge, who is one of the lawyers who represented Clunie, told our news centre that the six weeks the government had to file an appeal has passed.

He said this is an indication that the government has accepted the court ruling on the matter.

However, Terrelonge said he is not sure how soon the government will pay Clunie.

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