Nandlall slaps ‘Melly Mel’ with $100M libel lawsuit
Nov 23, 2024
Melissa Atwell, known as ‘Melly Mel’
Kaieteur News- Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, has filed a $100 million libel lawsuit against social media personality Melissa Atwell, known as “Melly Mel.”
The suit, filed in the High Court on Friday, accuses Atwell of publishing defamatory statements on her Facebook page on November 21, 2024.
In a statement, Nandlall said, “I am hereby providing Melissa Atwell with a glorious opportunity to appear before and establish to the satisfaction of an independent and impartial tribunal, the veracity of the many false and fabricated allegations she has made against me. After all, it is the least I can do and Atwell deserves no less.”
The lawsuit claims that Atwell’s posts contained false, malicious, and defamatory allegations that have irreparably damaged Nandlall’s reputation and standing as a senior attorney and government minister. According to the Attorney General, the accusations portray him as a thief, a murderer, and someone unfit to hold public office or practice law.
The legal action seeks: damages exceeding $100 million for libel, an injunction to prevent Atwell from publishing similar material and an order for the removal of all defamatory posts from her Facebook page.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC
“The nine 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 among his Cabinet colleagues, his political peers and indeed all right-thinking members of society in Guyana, the Caribbean and throughout the world,” the document said.
Nandlall emphasized that Atwell’s posts are part of a “malicious and spiteful defamatory campaign” intended to lower his status. Nandlall noted that he has never interacted with Atwell and is only aware of her presence on social media.
“The entire smear campaign launched against the claimant is based upon manufactured allegations, maliciously intended to destroy the Claimant’s reputation and professional standing…” the court filing stated.
The Attorney General also pointed to a broader issue of defamatory content published by some social media personalities, both locally and abroad. He noted that the government is working with U.S. law enforcement and legal firms to address such instances, which he said can incite racial violence and cause public harm.
(Nandlall slaps ‘Melly Mel’ with $100M libel lawsuit)
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