Aboud ordered to pay investment adviser $25,000 over threats, duress

BUSINESSMAN and corporate secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud has been ordered to pay $25,000 in damages to an investment adviser whom the High Court found he had threatened and held against his will for several hours while pressuring him to accept responsibility for a $10 million investment loss.

The order was made on Monday by Justice Devindra Rampersad, who also ordered Aboud to pay Lawrence Mollenthiel $3,868.15 in interest as well as his legal costs after finding that an agreement in which Mollenthiel accepted responsibility for the loss was signed under duress and could not be relied upon as a voluntary admission of liability.

In doing so, the judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by Aboud, his wife Merylle Mahabir and her sister Natalie Mahabir against Mollenthiel and his company, Investment Designs Ltd, over investments they said were not handled as promised.