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Anil Roberts demands apology from blogger Rhoda Bharath

MINISTER in the Ministry of Housing Anil Roberts has issued a legal threat against blogger Rhoda Bharath over two social media posts, demanding a public apology and the removal of the alleged defamatory content. Roberts, who also serves as a government senator, sent a pre-action protocol letter through his attorneys Kiel Taklalsingh, Stefan Ramkissoon and Johanna Richards on June 22. Bharath is the owner of the “Newsauce” page, where the posts were published. The letter said the posts were damaging to the minister’s reputation. The posts in question, published around June 21, concern a car accident involving Roberts. The letter alleges that the posts implied improper conduct and misrepresented facts. Roberts' legal team said the posts were shared widely, potentially harming his standing in the public eye. [caption id="attachment_1096472" align="alignnone" width="758"] Rhoda Bharath. -[/caption] The attorneys further claimed that Bharath failed to seek clarification or a response from Roberts before publishing the posts. They also raised concerns about comments made by other users under the posts, which have remained online. Roberts is seeking a public apology, removal of the posts and an assurance that no similar content will be published in the future. His attorneys said he would consider pursuing damages through the court if no response is received within 28 days. The letter claimed the posts implied that Roberts misused public resources, acted recklessly and could not be trusted in public office. Roberts’ legal team described the statements as defamatory, false, and damaging to his personal and professional reputation. The attorneys argued that although Bharath framed her remarks as questions, the implications were defamatory by innuendo and meant to scandalise Roberts. “This is not a case of simply informing the public,” the letter said. “Your intention was solely aimed at gaining more views and popularity at the expense of our client’s reputation.” On June 26, the Newsauce page posted a screenshot of Roberts’s page, “Douglas Politics,” which featured the pre-action letter. Accompanying the post was a message, purportedly from Bharath. “Anil Roberts has sent me a PAPL (pre-action protocol letter) in response to questions I raised about his involvement in an accident last weekend. “He has now posted the entire PAPL. Be careful about sharing his actual post because if you share the pages with the posts he is claiming are libellous, he may then choose to sue you for republishing posts he claims are libellous. “My attorneys will respond to his letter in due course.” The post Anil Roberts demands apology from blogger Rhoda Bharath appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.