SIR HUGH ORDE VINCE UNA CAUSA PER DIFFAMAZIONE
L’ex Chief Constable della PSNI Sir Hugh Orde otterrà il risarcimento danni per false accuse rilasciate dal Sunday World nel 2007
In una causa quasi senza precedenti Sir Hugh Orde, Chief Constable uscente della PSNI, ha vinto una causa per diffamazione che avuto origine nel 2007 quando il Sunday World lo accusò di aver usato denaro pubblico per portare con se il figlio neglio Stati Uniti, in occasione dei festeggiamenti di St. Patrick.
Paul Tweed, avvocato difensore di Orde, ha dichiarato che il suo cliente è “estremamente deluso e frustrato che il Sunday World abbia impiegato più di due anni per scusarsi di accuse che in primo luogo non avrebbero mai dovuto essere pubblicate”.
“Non solo è stato il giornalista ad aver affermato in due occasioni antecedenti la pubblicazione che le accuse erano completamente prive di fondamento, ma il giornalista in questione era se stesso nella lista di viaggio per gli USA del nostro cliente e avrebbe dovuto essere ben consapevole che il figlio del nostro cliente non aveva nemmeno viaggiato con lui”.
Oltre al risarcimento danni e delle spese legali, Orde ha anche ricevuto pubbliche scuse dinnanzi alla High Court di Belfast.
“L’imputato, Sunday Newspapers Ltd, riconosce che non vi è stata alcuna disonestà o irregolarità da parte di Sir Hugh Orde, in relazione a qualsiasi aspetto delle sue spese in qualità di Chief Constable della Psni”.
Ovvio il compiacimento manifestato da Orde e dal suo team legale.
Orde wins damages in libel case (BBC News Northern Ireland)
Sir Hugh Orde is to receive substantial libel damages over false newspaper allegations that he spent public money to fly his son to the United States.
The former PSNI chief constable sued the Sunday World over an article it published in May 2007.
The undisclosed settlement is believed to be one of the biggest of its kind ever reached in Northern Ireland.
Lawyers for the paper’s publishers also issued an apology to Sir Hugh at the High Court in Belfast.
The Sunday World erroneously claimed that he used PSNI funds to take his son with him when he travelled to the US to attend St Patrick’s Day functions in Washington.
Sir Hugh’s lawyer Paul Tweed said his client was “extremely disappointed and frustrated that it has taken more than two years for the Sunday World to apologise for allegations that should never have been published in the first place”.
“Not only was the journalist told on two occasions prior to publication that the allegations were completely without foundation, but the journalist concerned was himself in the USA reporting on our client’s trip and ought to have been well aware that our client’s son had not even travelled with him,” he added.
As part of the settlement, which also included Sir Hugh’s legal costs, a barrister acting for Sunday Newspapers Ltd apologised for “any upset and embarrassment” caused by the article.
“The defendant, Sunday Newspapers Ltd, acknowledges that there was absolutely no dishonesty or impropriety on the part of Sir Hugh Orde in relation to any aspect of his expenses in his position as Chief Constable of PSNI.
Sir Hugh, who left the Police Service of Northern Ireland last month to become president of the Association of Chief Police Officers was said by his lawyer to be very satisfied with the “complete and categoric vindication of his reputation”.
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