Security guard files $50M lawsuit against Dion Bascom

A lawsuit claiming more than $50M in damages was filed last week against interdicted Police Sergeant Dion Bascom. The action was brought by Mark Richmond, 44, a security checker at Mohamed’s Enterprise.

In legal documents filed by Attorneys-at-Law Naresh, Rajendra and Sohan Poonai, Richmond complained that on August 11, 12, 13, and 19, via Facebook Live and a press conference, the Policeman made several defamatory statements and utterances about him.

The statements concerned the execution of gold dealer and popular biker, Ricardo Fagundes also known as “Paper Shorts”, who was gunned down as he exited Palm Court located at Main Street, Georgetown in March of last year. The murder remains unsolved.

Bascom posted videos on Facebook shortly after he was arrested by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) over cocaine found in a house at Norton Street, Georgetown and later released—accusing a prominent businessman, several senior Police officers and others of a massive cover-up in the probe into Fagundes’ murder.

According to the security officer, Sergeant Bascom’s statements are false, untrue, disingenuous, dangerous, malicious, irrational, unfair, unsubstantiated, and baseless. He said the remarks have tarnished and lower his reputation, have caused him great embarrassment, psychological trauma, emotional distress and public humiliation and have caused his business to suffer financially.

He submitted that he is a citizen of good standing since he has an unblemished criminal record, and has never been charged with any criminal offence. He also submitted that he is a practicing devout Muslim who strives to uphold the tenets of Islam.

Sergeant Bascom’s utterance, he pointed out, suggests that he is associated with criminal activities, including that he shot Fagundes, that he is guilty of murder and that he conspired to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to an unnamed journalist.

Despite his lawyers sending Sergeant Bascom a letter of demand, asking that he retract the statements, apologise and pay compensation, Richmond said that the cop went ahead and made more defamatory statements against him, while insisting that they were true and justified.

In light of the cop’s publications, he submitted that he has been constantly subjected to questions regarding their truthfulness of them, adding that the irrational and intentional falsehoods were intended to tarnish, besmirch, and stain his reputation without justification.

Apart from damages, Richmond is asking the High Court to grant an injunction to restrain Sergeant Bascom from making similar statements about him, and an injunction compelling him to immediately and permanently remove the defamatory social media posts.

This recent lawsuit is in addition to a $200M defamation lawsuit filed by a businessman against Bascom.

Bascom is currently before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on three charges filed under the Cybercrime Act over alleged humiliating statements he made about two senior Police ranks.

He is out on $300,000 bail and is being represented by prominent lawyer, Nigel Hughes.

Meanwhile, CARICOM’s Regional Security System (RSS), following a probe into Bascom’s allegations of corruption and bribery, found no evidence of corrupt practices or attempt to cover up the investigation into the murder, the Ministry of Home Affairs had said in a statement to the media.