By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A SENIOR government official has filed a defamation lawsuit against former FNM vice-chairman Richard Johnson, accusing him of unleashing a stream of degrading and false remarks that painted her as unfit for office and accused her of corruption.

Linda Ann Moxey, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police who now serves as Acting Controller of Road Traffic, alleges that Mr Johnson used WhatsApp and popular ILTV talk shows to wage a campaign that ridiculed her competence, smeared her reputation, and falsely suggested she abused her position to favour foreigners and political allies.

According to the lawsuit, between August 20 and 22 this year, Mr Johnson allegedly told thousands of listeners and social media followers that Ms Moxey was “going te have a rough day today as acting controller of Road Traffic,” that she “belongs on a farm/property dealing with hogs and pigs”, “knows nothing about people skills and lack decorum ... lack the ability to treat people with respect ... speaks to people like they’re dealing with dogs”, that she “has a problem, is rude, and condescending and nasty and lack ability to deal with the public” and “... curry favours and picks who she wants over qualified Bahamians”, and that “this woman needs to go back where she been, I don’t give a [explicative1] how much PLP she is, she does not have respect for people in the public” and “... Linda Moxey is a prime example of oppressing Bahamians”.

The lawsuit said on August 21, in a second voice note, Mr Johnson claimed Ms Moxey was “granting plates to who she wants to give it to”, had “nothing nice to say about the Acting Controller”, alleged she “refers to [members of public] as village idiots”, insisted the “current minister responsible for Transport does not get along with her”, and asserted that she is “protected by the Prime Minister, among other defamatory statements”.

That same day, on ILTV’s Beyond the Headlines with Shenique Miller, he allegedly said Ms Moxey “does not know how to treat people, and can’t work with humans .. find a farm with BAMSI, find goats, sheep and cows and hogs for them to work with, they do not do well with working people... and that’s the facts”.

The lawsuit said on August 22, Mr Johnson repeated the remarks on ILTV’s Freedom March with Leyvon Miller, again belittling her professional abilities.

Ms Moxey’s lawyers argue the barrage was malicious, calculated, and designed to reach as wide an audience as possible by leveraging WhatsApp’s broad circulation and ILTV’s widely watched programmes. They say the comments imputed dishonesty, misconduct, and professional incompetence, exposing her to “ridicule, contempt, and disrepute”.

The claim seeks general damages for libel as well as aggravated and exemplary damages, citing Mr Johnson’s “high-handed” conduct and his “reckless indifference to the truth”. Ms Moxey is also asking the court for an injunction to stop him from repeating the allegations.

Her filing stresses the enduring impact of defamation amplified by modern technology, warning that Johnson’s words amounted to more than “the passing sting of slander whispered” but the “enduring poison of libel” spread to thousands.

Mr Johnson acknowledged the lawsuit yesterday and told The Tribune his lawyers are dealing with it.