Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal (TSJ) kicks out yet another appeal by Las Cristinas interloper Vannessa

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 By: David Coleman

Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) has declared inadmissible yet another in a list of appeals launched by Vannessa de Venezuela C.A. ... this one against Major General (ret.) Francisco Rangel Gomez, president of the Venezuelan Guayana Corporation.  Chief Justice Ivan Rincon Urdaneta says today's ruling was based on a writ from Vannessa legal representative Jose Rafael Parra Saluzzo filed on October 8 last year claiming that under Articles 26 and 51 of the 19999 Bolivarian Constitution, Rangel Gomez had issued a series of allegedly defamatory declarations in contravention of Article 444 in the Penal Code.

Chief Justice Rincon Urdaneta had heard that a series of newspaper articles and a television broadcast supposedly exposed Vannessa Ventures directors and shareholders to "public scandal, depreciation and scorn."

Rangel Gomez' statements, Vannessa claimed, had caused "imminent prejudice" to Vannessa after Rangel Gomez stated publicly that Vannessa's US$50 purchase of Placer Dome shares in Mineras Las Cristinas (MINCA) was "a fraud against the Venezuelan nation."  Vannessa lawyers claimed that Rangel Gomez had sullied Vannessa's honor and reputation on a national and worldwide scale by claiming that (the MINCA JV of which Vannessa had so spectacularly bought an 11th hour participation) "had not done anything for 11 years ... not an ounce of gold."

A list of publications and articles was annexed to the writ including:

• 1. Nueva Prensa, August 9, 2001.
• 2. El Correo del Caroni, August 25, 2001.
• 3. El Universal, September 18, 2001.
• 4. El Expreso, October 31, 2001.
• 5. El Universal, November 28, 2001.
• 6. Nueva Prensa, May 12, 2002.
• 7. El Expreso, May 28, 2002.
• 8. El Mundo, July 4, 2002.
• 9. Venezolana de Television (VTV) videotape of “En Confianza” (In Confidence) broadcast on October 2, 2002.
• 10. Globovision Channel 33 news videotape of “Primera Pagina”(Page One) broadcast on July 3, 2002.

In its conclusion, the Supreme Tribunal considered that the claimed defamation lacks credibility, partially because the legitimacy of Vannessa in the Placer Dome/CVG dispute remains unclear.