Security Checker slaps Sergeant Bascom with $50M lawsuit
Mark Richmond, a Security Checker with Mohamed’s Enterprise, has filed a $50 million lawsuit against Police Sergeant Dion Bascom, who had accused him of killing Ricardo Fagundes, also known as “Paper Shorts.”
In a Statement of Claim (SoC) filed by his battery of lawyers, namely: Rajendra Poonai, SC, Sohan Poonai, and Naresh Poonai, Richmond is seeking damages in excess of $25 million for defamation committed by Bascom on August 11, 12, 13 and 19 on Facebook.
He is also seeking exemplary, punitive, and/or aggravated damages in excess of $25 million for defamation committed on August 11, 13, and 19.
Moreover, Richmond wants an injunction restraining the Police Sergeant, whether by himself or servant, from uttering, repeating, posting, printing, or publishing any offending words against him.
“A mandatory injunction compelling the Defendant whether by himself his servant and/or agent to forthwith permanently remove Facebook post made and dated 12th day of August 2022 at 06:00hrs,” Richmond further asked.
The Security Checker documented that on August 12, 2022, Bascom accused him of being on the scene when Fagundes was riddled with bullets.
According to Richmond, the words uttered by the Police Sergeant are “untrue, dangerous, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded and baseless statements that were defamatory of the Claimant.”
Richmond added that on August 13, he sent Bascom a letter demanding he retracts the statements, apologise, and pays him compensation.
But instead, he noted that Bascom went again on a Facebook live, where he proceeded to defame him further. The live was removed sometime in September.
On August 15, 2022, Bascom’s Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes responded to Richmond’s letter noting that the statements made by his client “were justified and true.”
Referencing a press conference Bascom and his attorney held on August 19, Richmond said he was further defamed.
“These words, statements, and utterances made by the Defendant are all untrue, false, dangerous, disingenuous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, unfounded, and baseless, thereby tarnishing and lowering the reputation of the Claimant,” the SoC stated.
It added, “They were published and broadcast without justification and have caused and continue to cause significant harm and injury to the Claimant, his good name, and his reputation.”
The Police Sergeant is currently facing a $200 million lawsuit, which Popular businessman Azruddin Mohamed filed.
Bascom took social media via storm in August after he was released from Police custody after being arrested in connection with a drug bust at a Norton Street, Georgetown residence.
In the Facebook live, which he has since removed, Bascom claimed that it was a conspiracy to kill him and cover-up Fagundes’s murder. He subsequently did several other Facebook lives.
