Labor MP Chris Bryant is due to make a formal apology in court to the billionaire financier he accused. in parliament of money laundering after lawsuit for repetition of claims in letter on twitter.
In a highly unusual court case, Bryant was brought to trial by Christopher Chandler, a New Zealand investor and co-founder. of London Think Tank, over comments initially made during the debate in house of communities in 2018, during which another MP accused Chandler of links to Russian intelligence
While deputies are protected by parliamentary privilege for what they’re saying in the Commons, which means they cannot be sued, in March it year Bryant sent a tweet with a letter in which he cited in the comments, prompting Chandler to take action.
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Bryant did not admit that his words were defamatory, but the statement on his name will be read in court on Thursday acknowledges that the claims about Chandler “were subsequently debunked.” He agreed to pay £1,000 to the UN aid fund for Ukraine.
Chandler’s lawyers say it’s first the time when an incumbent member was required to make such a declaration on the basis of on said something in House of Commons, although constitutional experts note that it is generally considered that the privilege no longer applies if the words are repeated elsewhere.
The financier, whose Dubai-based investment firm founded the Legatum Institute think tank, said he was pleased that Bryant debunked what he called “strange and outrageous lies.”
Chandler called for people against whose claims made in parliament get right of reply and for individual MPs will be allowed to amend parliamentary reports if they say something wrong. found to be false.
saga began in May 2018 during the debate on sanctions and money laundering. Bob Seeley, Conservative MP who this is leading back bench voice on Russian affairs named Chandler as a creature of interest in French officials”on suspicion of … working for Russian special services.
Other deputies named Chandler, among them Bryant. deputy for Rondda said he saw the same documents as Seeley, claiming they included “a statement about of money laundering”.
because of parliamentary privilege, Chandler could not take any action until Bryant tweeted a letter he sent to Liz Truss, the foreign secretary about sanctions against Russia, which directly quoted what he said about the businessman in communities.
According to the published statement on on behalf of of Chandler, claims of money laundering and links to Russian intelligence were investigated by retired police officer Richard Walton. who formerly head of the counterterrorism department of the Metropolitan Police and was found have “no reason”.
Chandler said he was “thankful to Mr. Bryant”. for not against this long overdue correction of in public recordadding, “After four long years, we’re glad we can lay out these bizarre and outrageous lies behind us”.
In a statement, Bryant said the statement repeated what he had said. in Let it year during the foreign lobbying debate. He added: “Although I do not agree that what I posted was defamatory, I am happy for in record to be set straight.”
