PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — A High Court judge Tuesday awarded more than TT$400,000 (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) to a former senior public servant after agreeing that his reputation had been damaged as a result of the publication of three articles by the Trinidad Guardian newspaper three years ago.

Justice Davindra Rampersad said he found that the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper and former reporter, Anika Gumbs-Sandiford, “seemed reckless as to what was being presented to the public” following the publication of the articles that made certain allegations against the former permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport Ashwin Creed.

Justice Rampersad in his oral judgement awarded Creed, a total of TT$406,500 for damages suffered due to the publication of the articles which alleged that he and former sports minister Anil Roberts were under investigation for misbehaviour in public office.

The first article was published on December 30, 2013 with two others published afterwards.

Justice Rampersad said he found that Gumbs-Sandiford “was very wrong” in her reporting and showed “no responsibility” by authoring the defamatory article.

Rampersad said even though Gumbs-Sandiford stated in her affidavit that she made unsuccessful telephone calls to Creed for comment prior to the publication of the article, no telephone records to support such claims were made available to the court.

In addition to the award of damages, the newspaper also has to repay the legal cost incurred by Creed during the course of the lawsuit.