Finance Minister threatens lawsuit against Gaskin, sues Edghill for $200M

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan has filed a $200 million libel lawsuit against his fellow parliamentarian, Juan Edghill for libel, false charges and malicious prosecution.

Edghill, an opposition member, had filed “misconduct in public office” charges against several ministers, including Jordan, in retaliation to similar charges brought against two former Government officials. The charges were discontinued by the DPP and related to Mr Jordan’s role in Government’s funding of the D’ Urban Park project.

The lawsuit by Mr Jordan was filed by Attorney Roysdale Forde.

The Finance Minister contended that the intent of that action was to “embarrass, humiliate and cause him to suffer public hatred since the charge was widely reported in the local newspapers, radio, electronic media, social media and was accessible and circulated on the World Wide Web.”

Minister Jordan, in a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, also threatened to file a lawsuit against political commentator Ramon Gaskin who has not been shy of criticizing Jordan for his role in the secrecy of the US$18 million signing bonus the government received from US oil giant, ExxonMobil.

“That I have suffered significant harm to my reputation and integrity as a direct result of the institution of the Criminal Proceeding by the Respondent against me,” the lawsuit stated.

According to DPI, Minister Jordan said the lawsuit filed by the PPP MP was another demonstration of the opposition “clutching at straws.”

He said that “one such MP [Edghill] that clutched at these straws and sought to impugn my name and a number of ministers… he will have his day in court for impugning my integrity and my character.”

Further, Minister Jordan pointed out in his lawsuit that Edghill was aware that it was the National Assembly that approved the sum of $906Million to be made available to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure for the project and not him [Min. Jordan].

Edgehill will appear in the High Court later this month.