Matthew Thomas to respond to lawsuit this time around

Prominent pharmacist Matthew Thomas who is facing a lawsuit from Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, says that he is not intimidated by the proceedings, but looking forward to his day in court.

Thomas is being charged along with BDS Limited for among other things slander, aggravated damages, an injunction preventing the defendants from speaking or publishing the said or similar words defamatory of the claimant and costs.{{more}}

The former Movement for National Unity politician, says he welcomes the lawsuit, which he plans to respond to this time around. Earlier this month he did not respond to a letter from the offices of Hughes and Cummings, written on behalf of the Prime Minister seeking over $200,000 in damages and cost.

According to Thomas, he is in the process of selecting legal representation, to deal with the lawsuit, which he says the Prime Minister cannot afford to lose.

Thomas says he has all faith in this country’s judicial system and is willing to let justice take its course. He claims that he is not afraid to go to court on the matter.

The lawsuit stems from remarks made by Thomas in January on the NICE Radio owned by BDS limited.

This is not the first time a lawsuit has been filed against Thomas. In 1996 a suit of libel was filed against him by former Attorney General Carlyle Dougan for an article written in a newspaper. The suit was ultimately dropped.