Attorney taking newspaper to court

Bridgetown.

Attorney at Law Hal Gollop is suiting  the Nation Newspaper over a story title (50 million payout) which appeared in today's newspaper.

The article stated that Gollop in his capacity as lawyer for Innotech Services Limited, the contractors for the building of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) headquarters at Pine, St Michael wrote a detailed letter dated October 8, to the chairman of the BWA , Dr Atlee Brathwaite and copied to the Minister Responsible for Water Resource Management Dr David Estwick warning that if the Government stop the construction of $44 million new headquarters they will have to pay over $50 million in damages and other costs.

Speaking on a radio  call-in show this morning, Gollop said he was the lawyer for the BWA  and and  Innotech Services Limited.

Gollop said the letter reffered to in today's Nation Newspaper was written to his client the BWA , after they seek his professional advise on a legal  matter.

According to Gollop, he was informed via telephone yesterday by a female reporter from the Nation Newspaper that she was in procession of his letter to the BWA

The prominent attorney said he was shocked that a confidential letter between a lawyer and their  client could find its way in the hands of a newpaper.

Gollop said what is annoying that the journalist who wrote the article did not read or understood the letter.

"If the author of the article had read my letter, she would have been aware  that I was  the lawyer for the BWA and not  Innotech Services Limited.

"This is a disturbing trend and I wonder if it is safe for a man  to speak to his wife in bed", Gollop said.

The veteran attorney said he had instructed his lawyers to take legal action against the newspaper.