An auctioneer has gone to court and sued the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) over what he termed as ‘defamation’.
The auctioneer, Peter Maina has sued the AFC and its legal officer for defaming him in public after he went to ask for a debt.
In a civil suit filed at the chief magistrate’s court, Maina has accused Rashid Ngaira, a legal officer at AFC of insulting him in a way to ruin his reputation and his business image.
Maina alleges that on November 14, 2018, he had visited the office and was at the waiting bay of the corporation’s legal department to ask for pending fee notes.
He claims the fee notes compilation had no dispute and Ngaira is responsible for verifying and approving them for AFC.
He says Ngaira immediately confronted him for mentioning him in another taxation matter already in court.
“Ngaira, in the presence of other legal officers and other AFC staff abused me by saying that I am stupid, brainless and a fool. He added insults by stating, ‘you Kikuyus think you are very bright but this time round you will not succeed.” court documents state.
Maina added that Ngaira’ utterances meant that he is an unqualified auctioneer who operates below per and not worthy to be considered a genuine auctioneer.
He said that the words meant he lacks professional integrity as an auctioneer and is not worthy to be engaged by AFC and other clients.
“My reputation as an auctioneer has been injured and has been brought into public distress, agony, mental torture, humiliation, scandal, odium opprobrium and contempt”, he said in documents.
He claims that following the refusal of both AFC and Ngaira to tender an equivocal apology, he wants the court to give orders directing them to pay for general damages for defamation and damages on the footing of aggravated or exemplary damages.