Dott Services drags New Vision to court over defamation, given five days to apologize

By Watchdog reporter
Dott Services Limited has dragged New Vision Newspaper to Court over defamation.
Through its lawyers Tumusiime Kabega and Co. Advocates, Dott Services Limited alleges that On Saturday, 25 February 2017, New Vision published an article entitled ‘Minister Byabagambi named in road Fraud’ on pages six and seven, while purporting to rely on the commission of inquiry report into the allegations mismanagement, abuse of office and corrupt practices into UNRA.
In the article, New Vision said that Dott Services Ltd had an increment of 110.7% in the contract price revision on the Tororo-Mbale Road works and that the road cost shs200 billion yet the work did by the company was substandard which led to road failure.
New Vision further stated that Dott Services Ltd ‘unlawfully and unjustly enriched itself by claiming prolongation costs for no work done’ adding that the company in question was blacklisted by all government departments.
“We draw your intention to pages 19-21 where the high court found Dott Services Ltd did not cause any delays and that the allegation of inadequate capacity and equipment were unfound. Further , that Dott Services Ltd were entitled to extra payments in case of delays caused by UNRA, as was the case here , and there were no unlawful and unjust payments to them. At page 25, the high court found that there was no reduction of the width of roads as alleged in your publication,” statement partly read.
According to the lawyers, the High Court further ruled that there was no evidence of bribery, connivance or collusion against Dott Service Ltd. Citing page 27 of the said ruling DOtt Services lawyers said that their client is seriously aggrieved by the damaging publication since it is a reputable international civil/roads work contractor in Eastern Africa Region.
“In view of the foregoing, our client strongly demands that you publish an unconditional apology in your newspaper with the same prominence as the publication of 25th February 2017, with five days from today in which you clearly show that the content s of your said publication were quashed by the High Court of Uganda and cannot stand. Further, take notice that in the event that you fail to publish the said apology , our client’s firm instructions are to commence legal action against you with all the attendant costs,” lawyers stated.