A recent libel case involving South Gloucestershire based multi-millionaire Arron Banks and Somerset born journalist Carole Cadwalladr has brought to light offerings of "sweetheart deals" among several meetings with Russian officials. Mr Banks, a businessman with links to Thornbury, had challenged Ms Cadwalladr off the back of a TED Talk she delivered back in 2019, where she'd stated "I’m not even going to get into the lies that Arron Banks told about his covert relationship with the Russian government".
Not only was this statement claimed to be libellous, but so too - Mr Banks claimed - was Ms Cadwalladr's response on Twitter. She refuted this on the grounds of public interest, stating she had "reasonable grounds to believe that her intended meaning [in her TED Talk] was true".
Last week Hon Mrs Justice Steyn found that whilst Mr Banks' evidence of his reputation being harmed by Ms Cadwalladr's statement 'came across as truthful', so too was Ms Cadwallladr's public interest defence in raising questions of the business tycoon's links with Russia:
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"The claimant (Mr Banks) proved that the publication of the TED talk has caused serious harm to his reputation. The TED talk is defamatory of Mr Banks. The claimant has failed to prove that publication of the Tweet caused serious harm to his reputation," said the judge. "The defendant has established a public interest defence in relation to the publication of the TED Talk. The claimant has failed to prove that the publication of the TED Talk from April 29, 2020 caused, and/or is likely to cause serious harm to his reputation. In respect of that preiod, the TED Talk is not defamatory... accordingly the claim is dismissed."
Earlier today - Sunday June 19 - Ms Cadwalladr published a thread on Twitter expressing her gratitude for her: "stellar legal team and the 29,000 people who contributed to my legal defence fund."
It turns out that Mr Banks had lunched with the Russian ambassador no less than four times. This came out after he had previously claimed there had only been "two lunches and 'a cup of tea'".
Ms Cadwalladr's 'reasonable grounds' defence was vindicated further by court papers stating Mr Banks had been "offered 'sweetheart deals'": concerning the privatisation of Alrosa - a Russian diamond mining group - as well as a "Guinea gold mine which Mr Banks had pursued to the limited extent of meeting with Mr [Ilya] Karas," a London-based Russian businessman.
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Court notes also mention that Mr Banks had intended to "pop in and see the [Russian] ambassador as well" after an intended meeting with Sberbank, a Russian banking and financial services company. According to Hon Mrs Justice Steyn, the terminology was "suggestive of a relationship in which he could visit the Russian ambassador with ease."
Mr Banks replied after last week's verdict, stating his intent to appeal: "Congratulations to Carole on winning today, it leaves open for the journalist the excuse that she thought what she she said was correct even though she had not facts.
"There are important points of law at stake here, and we will likely appeal."
Ms Cadwalladr ended her Twitter thread by stating: "THE END (I hope.) Banks may still appeal. But he can only appeal on the legal argument. Not the facts. Facts are facts. And we have them now.
"I have so many people to thank individually but for now, thank you, thank you, thank you."
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