'Defamation case': Verdens Gang says no plan to pay compensation

Despite losing a defamation lawsuit in the court of law filed by Dubai-based Pakistani origin businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor, Norway’s tabloid Verdens Gang (VG) Chief of Staff Andreas Arnseth said that the tabloid newspaper had no plan to pay any compensation.

According to a report published in Journalisten magazine, Arnseth said: “We do not recognise the proceedings in Pakistan, and dispute that they have jurisdiction in this case. Nor have we been served with the judgment, as international law requires.”

It is pertinent to mention here that a court in Pakistan has ruled that the chief editor of tabloid VG and its reporter Rolf John Widerøe deliberately defamed noted businessman Zahoor and ran a long defamation campaign against him in order to harm his interests. The court has also ordered the duo to pay Rs30 million in damages as well as legal fees to Zahoor and his lawyers.

Towards the end of last year, various Pakistani media published articles stating that a defamation lawsuit had been filed against VG, as per Google translate.

“Now the newspaper has been convicted in a Pakistani court,” VG confirmed to Journalisten.

The lawsuit and the verdict were the latest in a long series of incidents, which, according to VG, are linked to one and the same complex of cases.

“Over many years, there have been false reports, threats of lawsuits and threats of physical violence directed at VG journalist Rolf Widerøe,” VG told the magazine in January.

Steiro confirmed to Journalisten on Monday that they had learned about the verdict, but that they have not received it.

On the other hand, Zahoor's Norwegian lawyer, John Christian Elden, said: “I am familiar with the verdict, but have not participated in the Pakistani legal process.”

He adds: “This is about a financial balance between my client and VG for the damage VG has caused him, and must be settled directly between them.”

According to the Pakistani media that have reported on the lawsuit against VG, the claim against the newspaper was Rs605 million. This corresponds to just over 24 million Norwegian kroner.

However, according to Nettavisen, the compensation claim ended up at around 3.7 million Norwegian kroner. The court has found that VG and Widerøe have defamed Zahoor in published articles in Norway, writes Nettavisen.

— Article translated using Google Translate from Journalisten