$100M defamation lawsuit: Nandlall dismisses political fallout from Melly Mel allegations

…challenges her to prove claims in court

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, is brushing aside contentions that the controversy surrounding US-based Guyanese Melissa Atwell, popularly known as Melly Mel, could have political repercussions for him; and, as a matter of fact, has challenged her to prove her accusations against him in a court of law.
During an interview on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, Nandlall was asked to comment on the accusations Atwell has levelled against him, and he reiterated his innocence.

Having recently sued Melly Mel for defamation, seeking in excess of $100 million in damages over allegations she made on social media that sought to tie him to her as one of her sources, Nandlall responded, “I have spoken at length on Melly Mel. You all have heard me. There is nothing more that I wish to say. I have filed legal proceedings. She will hopefully come to the court, or be represented, and produce whatever evidence she has. You have seen six days have passed, and where is this volume of evidence that she has, that connects me to her?”
Continuing his response, he declared, “As I said, I don’t know the woman, I don’t speak to the woman, I’ve never met the woman. This woman can’t produce a single…I have thousands of photographs that I’ve taken out with random strangers. And she’s obviously searching all about the place to get information on me, and she can’t even produce a photograph? Tens of thousands of Guyanese can produce a photograph with me.”

With the next general and regional elections looming on the horizon, the Attorney General was also asked if he was concerned about the political repercussions of the accusations made by Atwell. His response was as follows: “Not at all! Not at all! It’s absolute nonsense! It’s absolute nonsense! It has no credibility, and I challenge her and anyone else to prove me wrong!”
In addition to $100 million in damages being sought by the suit, which was filed last Friday, Nandlall is seeking an injunction against Melly Mel to prevent future publication of defamatory posts; and is also seeking an order for Melly Mel to remove the existing posts from her Facebook page.
According to Nandlall’s statement of claim, on behalf of the Government, he had only recently concluded a retainer contract with a US law firm to pursue actions against persons residing in the US who defame others on social media.
Nandlall has intimated in his statement of claim that this is the catalyst for the defamatory statements Atwell began to make against him on her Facebook page. According to Nandlall, her statements portray him as a thief, a murderer, and someone unfit to hold public office or practise law. These statements, Nandlall noted, are “patently fabricated, concocted and malicious”.
“The claimant has never met the defendant; never interacted with her; does not know her, and has no relationship whatsoever with the defendant. His only knowledge of her is of her presence and her posts on Facebook; and accordingly, the entire smear campaign launched against the claimant is based upon manufactured allegations, maliciously intended to destroy the claimant’s reputation and professional standing, and to lower his status in the estimation of his Cabinet colleagues, his political peers, and indeed all right-thinking members of society,” Nandlall has said in his statement of claim.
“The nine (9) publications made by the defendant that have been complained about in these proceedings have seriously and irreparably damaged, and are likely to continue to seriously and irreparably damage, the reputation and standing of the claimant 2024/68-HC-SOC-DEM-CIV 2024/11/22 17:42 Page 25 of 27 26 among his Cabinet colleagues, his political peers, and indeed all right-thinking members of society in Guyana, the Caribbean, and throughout the world.”
Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had only in August filed a $50 million lawsuit against Melissa Atwell, and against the Alliance For Change (AFC) Parliamentarian Sherod Duncan, over defamatory statements made during a Facebook live programme, ‘Credible Sources’, on August 2, 2024.
Back in 2019, Atwell also had a $100 million lawsuit filed against her by the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital, for tarnishing the hospital’s reputation via social media posts. And reports emerged last year that several cybercrime charges have been filed against her with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) over her social media publications. The complainants had reportedly included politicians and senior police officers. (G3)