Dubai top court takes up Dh200m libel case

Dubai: Dubai's highest court yesterday began its hearing into a Dh200-million libel claim lodged by a pan-Arab satellite television's CEO against an Arabic newspaper. The Canadian CEO accuses the Dubai-based Arabic newspaper of seriously undermining his reputation in an article.

Earlier this year, the Dubai Appeals Court ordered the newspaper to pay Dh100,000 in compensation to the claimant for the emotional and moral anguish he underwent on account of the defamatory article.

Lawyers representing both parties appealed the appeal judgment before the Cassation Court. The CEO has moved Dubai's highest court seeking to have the compensation approved by the Appeals Court substantially increased.

The newspaper's advocate, on the other hand, has asked the court to dismiss the case.

The CEO claimed that the newspaper published a defamatory article in which it alleged that he molested an Egyptian lawyer.

"Attributing the news to an Egyptian newspaper, the defendant published, on its website and in print, that the lawyer lodged a police complaint against the CEO allegedly accusing him of requesting bizarre sexual services and the defendant added untrue and baseless details about the CEO," said the lawsuit.

"The defendant's article shamed and dishonoured the CEO by baselessly and maliciously accusing him of being a homosexual and the claimant was on the verge of getting married. The article in question mentioned that the claimant appointed incompetent directors and supervisors from specific nationalities and with high wages," added the lawsuit.

The court adjourned the hearing until September 19 for the litigating parties to present their respective arguments.

Appeals court ruling

According to the appeal court's judgment, the newspaper damaged the claimant's reputation and caused him moral and emotional damages. However the published article did not cause or inflict any financial damage upon the claimant it concluded. The court decided that the CEO deserved Dh100,000 by way of compensation for moral and emotional damages "but does not deserve any financial damages because he is still on top of his job", according to the appeal verdict sheet.

The Appeals Court also decided that the CEO deserved a compensation as many readers posted their comments about the article on the newspaper's website.

The lawsuit added: "The defendant also published that the claimant phoned the lawyer and threatened him over the phone… the newspaper further printed that when the claimant was appointed as CEO, the satellite television was hit by a state of controversy. The article alleged that the CEO insisted on appointing his acquaintance for a Dh73,000 salary."

The lawsuit said the paper tarnished the CEO's image and damaged his reputation by publishing his initials. "There is only one person in such a position and who carries those initials… the article strongly indicated that the claimant was the one meant in the story."