City businessman Azruddin Mohamed has moved to the High Court to file a $200 million lawsuit against Police Detective Dion Bascom for defamation.
Earlier this month, Bascom, 33, was among five persons arrested by ranks of the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) after three pounds of cocaine were found in a Norton Street, Georgetown, residence.
Though arrested, Bascom was not charged and was released by CANU but he went live on his Facebook page and made several damning allegations of corruption against Mohamed and the hierarchy of the Police Force as it relates to the murder of popular gold dealer and biker, Ricardo ‘Paper Shorts’ Fagundes.
Fagundes was riddled with bullets on March 21, 2021, on Main Street, Georgetown, moments after he exited a nightclub.
Bascom has since deleted the live video over fears about his family’s life.
Mohamed is claiming $100M for damages in addition to $100M for aggravated and/or exemplary damages.
According to the court documents seen by the News Room, Mohamed said that on August 11, 12,13, and 19, Bascom made and broadcast false and malicious statements to tarnish and lower his reputation and cause him great embarrassment.
He is also asking the Court to grant an injunction restraining Bascom– whether by himself, representatives, and agents or otherwise – from publishing or causing to be published the statements or anything similar thereto.
The claimant further contended that on August 12, his attorney, wrote to Bascom demanding him to retract his false statement, apologise and pay compensation.
However, Bascom went on to publish more false statements against Mohamed on Facebook.
Mohamed is represented by attorney-at-law Sohan Poonai, while Bascom is represented by attorney Nigel Hughes.
Poonai is also representing Superintendent of Police Mitchell Caesar in a defamatory lawsuit against Bascom for alleged false statements made during the live video.
Caesar is demanding that Bascom retracts allegations levelled against him, issue an apology and pay compensation for defamation in the sum of $50 million.
Commissioner of Police (ag.) Clifton Hicken and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum during a recent press conference debunked the “cover-up” claims made by Bascom.
In an effort to quell public concern, the Crime Chief also highlighted that the GPF is currently being assisted by an internationally recognised law enforcement agency in conducting the Fagundes murder probe.
