February 22, 2005
Singh countersuing Sgro
The Pizzas for Visas controversy simply won't go away. In a last-ditch attempt to avoid deportation last January, pizza guy Harjit Singh made public allegations that Judy Sgro, then the Minister of Citizenship, offered to help him stay in Canada if he helped her re-election by keeping campaign workers' stomachs full of pizza. The allegations led Ms. Sgro to resign from Cabinet on January 14th, vowing to defend herself vigorously against the allegation.
After calling on Mr. Singh and three others to retract their statements and when they did not, she launched $750,000 defamation suit against them. Since then, Mr. Singh was found to have misled an immigration hearing and has been deported to India. All of which has left us contemplating the absurdity of a deported man having to return to Canada to defend himself against a suit from a former Cabinet Minister he accuses of influence peddling.
And if all of that has you shaking your head, you'll love the next bit: Mr. Singh is now counter-suing Ms. Sgro for $1.25-million, denying he said anything defamatory or "calculated to disparage Ms. Sgro."
Most unbelievable in the documents Mr. Singh has filed with the court is his apparent belief that "at no time" did Ms. Sgro call on any of the defendants to retract their statements. Well, Mr. Singh, she did and it was reported in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail among many, many others.
Something tells me that argument will fly like a lead balloon, as will his counter-suit.
Posted by maxthecat at February 22, 2005 02:10 PM
http://www.maxsmewsings.com/mt/archives/2005/02/singh_countersuing_sgro.php