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THE Court of Appeal has dismissed freelance columnist Juliet Davy’s appeal in a defamation case brought by Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal, upholding a High Court decision that awarded him $475,000 in damages and $69,000 in costs. Davy was also ordered to pay an additional $46,000 for costs related to the appeal.

The case stems from two articles published in the now-defunct TT Mirror newspaper in May and June 2016. The articles referenced a list circulating on social media that claimed Moonilal was the fourth-richest person in the country, with a net worth of $2.58 billion. The list was never proven to be real, and no evidence was presented to show Moonilal had such wealth.

Justice Robin Mohammed of the High Court had ruled in 2020 that the articles were defamatory. The defence of fair and honest comment was rejected.