Mark King Takes on Moses Sulph over Facebook Comments
Mark King
Mark King, former Lake Independence area rep, is suing activist Moses Sulph for defamation of his character and that of his business, following a post on social media. The case came up in the Supreme Court today, but was adjourned as Sulph’s attorney, Arthur Saldivar, has an active matter in the Belmopan Supreme Court. Sulph says he can back up his statement with testimony from some of those involved, but King says he will not tolerate injury to his reputation either personally or as a businessman.
Mark King, Suing for Slander
“It’s not personal at all. I run several companies within in Belize and as the C.E.O. and owner of those companies, one of my companies has been slandered and my name has been liable, of course, and I won’t take to no one [damaging] my name and character. I believe that in big companies mistakes are made, but those can be worked out with employees and being that I am not in charge of the little details, I believe that my name should not have been used. So it’s not necessarily that I’m claiming that there was anything wrong or not done; I don’t know that for a fact and those can be sorted out. But I think I’ve given Moses enough time to apologize, to say he’s sorry, and he didn’t. When they take away your name and your image and your character, you have nothing left and he knows of that. And so I will not allow anyone to take advantage of that and to anyone who counters my name on Facebook or in public, they will have to deal with the courts.”
Reporter
“Sir, if he apologizes today, tomorrow, the other day, would the case be dropped?”
Mark King
“No. That time has passed. We [have been] humble; we have given Moses a lot of time to apologize, we have given his attorney space to make payment to us and they have not budged and so the case proceeds. Whether or not one of my companies is guilty or not is not my issue here or there; the thing is we were humble enough to give him time to speak.”
Moses Sulph
Moses Sulph, Defending Slander Suit
“Whenever politicians or people in authority believe they are going to be forgotten, they use things to be in the public’s eyes again, because they cannot just leave and vanish into the abyss. However, I will say that the statement I made on Facebook [is based on] statements given to me by workers who were working for Mr. King’s security firm, and those statements I wrote on Facebook are statements given to me by people who believed that they were being taken advantage of. I’m a grassroots activist; I’m always looking out for the poorer class because they are always being taken advantage of whether it be disgraced politicians or current politicians, that is nothing new. However, I would like to say the only drawback I have is that many times people who are willing to talk and give you information, they have a slight drawback in coming to court and testifying which I have to find a way to deal with. Thank God, there are people who are willing to give witness statements and some who are willing to come to court; some are not willing because they, they say they are afraid they will lose their job – a job that is keeping them in poverty anyway; and a job on which they spoke to me about being taken advantage of, so that is something to be desired. However I believe that in the end the truth will prevail.”
The case resumes in September.
