NGPC Inc. in Gy$100M defamation lawsuit against Vieira, HBTV Ch 9

The New GPC Inc. and the Queens Atlantic Group of Companies have sued controversial executive member of A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), Anthony Vieira, along with HBTV Channel Nine for defamation.

Vieira allegedly committed a slander in a commentary aired on November 14, 2011, and broadcast by HBTV Channel Nine. New GPC Inc Chairman Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop, in an invited comment said that he is seeking in excess of 100 million Guyana dollars as damages following the untrue, malicious and erroneous statements made by Anthony Vieira. He said that both Vieira and HBTV must take responsibility before the court for the slander in the commentary. Vieira reportedly sold his company and television station VCT Channel 28 back in 2009 to Dr Ramroop for a hefty sum.

Vieira subsequently resigned as a Peoples National Congress Reform (PNC/ R) parliamentarian and migrated to Miami in the U.S. He later returned to Guyana and joined the APNU coalition.

This is not the first time Vieira will face the court for libel/ slander. In fact, Vieira’s last commentary caused Channel Six’s licence to be suspended for four months, a penalty that will take effect after the upcoming elections.

Back in June 2009, Vieira, who has been in the television business since the 1980s, sold his television station to the Ramroop Group of Companies. He reportedly said back then that having made his contributions; he wanted to pursue less stressful enterprises.

With respect to the deal with the Ramroop Group of Companies, Vieira had made public that it was the best offer he had received and had no option but to accept it.

“As businessmen we enter into specific business ventures with objectives whilst at the same time, seeking to conclude the best alternative or deal and I believe, having considered all my years of hard work and investments in the television industry, the offer I got for VCT from the Ramroop Group was acceptable given the sad global financial climate and the generally sad state of the local advertising market. There are just too many channels competing for what is essentially a small advertising pie.”

The assets sold to the Ramroop Group included the business office and studio at Quamina Street and the transmission site at Versailles.