ROSEAU, Dominica, Feb 10, CMC – Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has filed a lawsuit against Opposition Leader Lennox Linton seeking aggravated damages, for libel or slander following interviews and statements he gave to national and international media regarding the controversial Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI).

Dominica is one of several Caribbean countries with a CBI that grants citizenship to foreign investors in return for significant investments in the socio-economic development of the country.

In the lawsuit filed by his attorney Lennox Lawrence, Prime Minister Skerrit is also taking legal action against West Indies Communications Enterprises Limited, operators of the radio station (Q95 FM).

In the lawsuit, Skerrit claims that Linton made statements in various interviews with the Huffington Post and the American broadcaster CBS last month as well as at a public meeting that were libellous and slanderous.

The Prime Minister is also seeking damages from Linton for libel or slander in a letter sent to him on January 30, 2017, and copied to various other people including President Charles A Savarin; Members of Parliament; the Speaker of the House; Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders; the CARICOM Secretary General, the Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS); the Secretary General of the United Nations as well as the Organisation of American States (OAS).

Skerrit claimed that in that letter Linton wrote that the Prime Minister has presided over a “corrupt Economic Citizenship programme that has compromised the global security architecture against money laundering and the financing of terrorism” and that he persist with the “practice of selling diplomatic passports and diplomatic immunity under the table to a band of international rogues and vagabonds” and listed a “gallery” of secretly appointed “rogue diplomats”.

Skerrit said that Linton’s claims were “false and defamatory”.

Skerrit is seeking damages, including aggravated damages, for libel or slander for the words published or caused to be published by Linton and damages, including aggravated damages, for libel or slander for the words broadcast or caused to be published by Q95FM.

Further, the Prime Minister is seeking an injunction restraining Linton, “whether by himself, his servants or agents or howsoever, or Q95FM whether by itself, its directors, servants or agents or howsoever from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar defamatory words about him.

The Prime Minister is also seeking costs on the indemnity basis and/ or wasted costs against the defendants and further or other relief from the court.