Defamation war heads to court
JOURNO VS ATTORNEY: ARTICLES ABOUT BOBROFFS
Claim follows series of allegedly insulting statements on social media.
Asenior journalist and the attorney acting for controversial personal injury lawyers Ronald and Darren Bobroff have accused each other of defamation.
Tony Beamish instituted a R1 million claim for defamation against senior Johannesburg attorney John Cameron.
The attorney in turn accused the journalist of defamation and making false and malicious statements about him.
Beamish wrote a series of articles about former Johannesburg attorneys Ronald Bobroff and his son, Darren, allegedly overcharging clients in claims against the Road Accident Fund. The Bobroffs were struck off the roll of attorneys and provisionally sequestrated because of their failure to repay clients they allegedly overcharged.
They fled to Australia last year – allegedly to avoid possible criminal charges – but according to Cameron, they denied any wrongdoing and wanted to appeal their striking-off. He said they were temporarily residing overseas because of threats of violence.
Cameron represents the Bobroffs in a defamation suit of almost R24 million instituted against them by Beamish and five Johannesburg attorneys.
The massive claim followed a series of allegedly insulting and defamatory statements on social media platforms aimed at Beamish and attorneys Anthony Millar, Norman Berger, Stephen Bezuidenhout and Rael Zimmerman.
The Bobroffs blame Beamish and the attorneys for their financial and legal woes and the publicity surrounding their case.
Beamish instituted a damages claim against Cameron as well after Cameron filed a legal notice requesting further information and documentation from Beamish and the attorneys. The journalist alleged the notice repeated the Bobroffs’ offensive statements about him and that Cameron had ceased to act as an independent professional, made common cause with the Bobroffs and became their alter ego.
He alleged the notice intended to portray him as untrustworthy, wicked and disgusting, damaged his reputation and was filed to help the Bobroffs avoid or delay the filing of a plea in the defamation suit.
Cameron took exception to the allegations and applied for a punitive costs order against Beamish and his attorneys. He said in court papers they had continued with the defamation claim against the Bobroffs, despite knowing the sequestration suspended the action. –