Chinese-Australian billionaire Chau Chak Wing has been awarded $ 590,000 in damages after winning his defamation case over an ABC Four Corners episode.
The businessman, philanthropist and political donor has charged broadcaster Nine and Nick McKenzie, an investigative reporter for the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, with the joint report.
McKenzie hosted the 2017 program and the investigation includes an accompanying article on the ABC website.
Chau’s lawyers said the broadcast and the article slandered their client in six ways, including by suggesting that he was a spy who had betrayed his country, Australia, to the interests of a foreign power, China ‘to serve’.
They also said the publications suggested that Chau ‘donated huge sums of money to Australian political parties because bribes were intended to influence politicians to make decisions in the interests of the Republic of China, the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party. to promote ‘.
But the media organizations denied that the accusations had been transferred, saying they were “overcooked” with Chau’s lawyers trying to do an exaggerated search for hidden meanings.
In federal court, Judge Steven Rares ruled in favor of Chau on Tuesday, awarding him $ 590,000 and his legal costs and preventing the ABC from re-publishing parts of the episode.
Chau had previously successfully sued Fairfax Media over defamation over a story in 2015 suggesting he had bribed a former UN president.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance said the decision underscores the urgency for all jurisdictions in Australia to adopt uniform libel reforms.
“Without commenting on the details of today’s ruling, the case highlights the difficulty that journalists are negotiating under the negotiation of Australia’s restrictive defamation laws,” said MEAA Media Federal President Marcus Strom. “Reform has begun, but it must be faster, deeper.”