HGP Nightly News – A High Court ruling has delivered a costly rebuke to state media, ordering the Department of Public Information (DPI) and the Attorney General of Guyana to jointly pay $10 million in damages to Vincent Alexander after the court found they were responsible for publishing defamatory statements back in August 2022.
In a decision handed down by Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln, the court concluded that DPI aired and published comments, originating from then Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, that falsely painted Alexander as dishonest and unethical, and as someone personally benefiting from public funds allocated to IDPADA-G.
The judge found the publications crossed the legal line and caused reputational harm. Crucially, the court ruled that the state entities failed to make out any of the defences they relied on. The judgment said they did not prove justification, fair comment, or innocent dissemination, leaving DPI and the Attorney General fully exposed to liability.
Jagdeo himself, however, was not held personally liable. The court dismissed the claim against him on the basis that his remarks were made under qualified privilege, as a public official speaking on an issue of public concern. The judge also found that Alexander did not properly plead or establish malice, which would have been necessary to defeat that privilege.
Alongside the damages award, the court ordered DPI to remove the interview from its website by January 16, 2026, and to pay $500,000 in costs to Alexander. At the same time, Alexander was ordered to pay $350,000 in costs to Jagdeo.
