THE former board of Caymanas Track Limited (CTL) and its current CEO, Rose Campbell, yesterday dropped their libel suit against Jamaica Racehorse Trainers’ Association president, Lee Clarke, in exchange for his unreserved apology and embrace of a $250,000 legal bill.

The settlement agreement, including the wording of the apology that left little doubt that Clarke had backed down entirely, was presented to Supreme Court judge, Donald McIntosh, who was rostered to preside over the case.

Clarke was sued for comments about missing funds at CTL that he first made during a May 1999 interview on the current affairs programme, Nationwide, which then broadcast on Hot 102 FM. Elements of the libel were repeated in a letter published in the Sunday Herald and the horse racing publication, Track & Pools.

At the time of the incident, Campbell was not CEO of the company, but a member of the board of directors.

Campbell apart, those who sued Clarke were:

* Danny Melville, the then chairman of CTL;

* Neville Rhone, who was the deputy chairman;

* Richard Lake, director;

* Percival Martin, director;

* Derrick White, director; and

* Dr Paul Wright.

Under yesterday’s settlement agreement, Clarke will, within 10 days, pay for two full page advertisements of his apology in the Sunday Herald and Track & Pools and for the broadcast of the 340-word statement on Nationwide, hosted by Cliff Hughes and Hugh Croskill, and which is now broadcast on Power 106 FM.

Additionally, Melville agreed that on the publication of the apology he would withdraw a separate libel suit against Clarke.

Clarke’s association was critical of the management of the CTL under Melville’s chairmanship, as well as the subsequent short-lived board that was headed by businessman and race horse owner, Howard Hamilton.

They, for instance, campaigned vigorously against Campbell when she was appointed CEO, raising questions about her past conduct as a board member and her management of the affairs of the company.

In the 1999 Nationwide interview, Clarke raised claims about a missing $300 million at CTL and called for the firing of the board and an independent investigation into its finances.

Melville, a businessman and former People’s National Party (PNP) parliamentarian, sued Clarke first. But his claim against Clarke was later consolidated into a similar suit by other board members.

The publishers and broadcasters of Clarke’s libel were apparently not sued.

Clarke, a former Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) councillor for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), had initially intended to argue that his remarks were not calculated to disparage but that he was merely commenting on a matter of public interest.

Clarke and his lawyers apparently had second thoughts about that approach and in the apology approved for publication Clarke said: “I am now satisfied that I did not have any proper basis for making the allegations that over $300 million was missing or unaccounted for or to call an investigation….

“I am also satisfied that my statements could be taken to impute a dishonest motive to Mr Melville and to every member of the board…

“I have always held Mr Melville in high esteem and continue to hold him in high esteem and at no time have I ever set out to malign his character or that of any member of his board….”