A High Court Master will decide the compensation that United National Congress (UNC) party activist Brian Stone has to pay Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for defamation, later this year.
Rowley yesterday took a witness stand before Master Martha Alexander at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain, to testify on the assessment of damages in the defamation case.
Accompanied by a team of Special Branch police officers, Rowley spent almost 15 minutes in the court before being excused by Alexander.
Stone was initially seeking to have Rowley cross-examined by his lawyer Robin Montano but was denied as he failed to make an application under the court’s rules.
After the brief hearing, Alexander gave the parties deadlines for filing submissions after which she would give her decision.
Rowley’s lawsuit against the former Caribbean New Media Group (CNMG) chairman is based on statements Stone posted on his Facebook page in late 2017.
Stone allegedly accused Rowley of receiving bribes from a certain segment of society and of engaging in corruption in relation to the construction of a building in west Trinidad.
Rowley attempted to serve the claim on Stone in October 2017 but was unsuccessful.
High Court Judge David Harris then granted Rowley’s lawyers an order allowing them to serve the lawsuit in a series of newspaper advertisements over a two-week period.
Rowley obtained a default judgement against Stone after he failed to submit a defence to the claim as required under the Civil Proceedings Rules.
Rowley is being represented by Michael Quamina.