Day 248 - 13 May 96 - Page 14


     
     1   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  That is not the common denominator.
     2
     3   MR. RAMPTON:  That is not in the file at all.
     4
     5   MS. STEEL:   If I could just say, it does say on the index 'date
     6        published' and 'date of action', which does imply that
     7        there was some action taken.
     8
     9   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I see that.
    10
    11   MR. MORRIS:  We are going to assume it was action taken against
    12        these organisations of one sort or another.
    13
    14   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Can you take it any further with Mr. Preston
    15        whether you are right to make that assumption or not?
    16
    17   MS. STEEL:   No, I will leave that part there.  Our case, the
    18        case that you brought against us, Mr. Preston, was
    19        basically just part of a wave of attempt to suppress
    20        criticism by your Corporation of your Corporation?
    21        A.  No.
    22
    23   Q.   If I could hand up this document to the witness box which
    24        everybody else has this morning (handed).  This is a copy
    25        of the libel action background briefing, and if you look at
    26        paragraph 4, you confirmed last week that that was
    27        incorrect did you not?
    28        A.  This is the one that starts in December 199----?
    29
    30   Q.   That is the one, yes?
    31        A.  There were letters in '84.
    32
    33   Q.   We have been through this.  You said there was one letter
    34        about a leaflet which was different but which you said was
    35        similar?
    36        A.  Amazingly similar.
    37
    38   Q.   Right.  I think you must have funny eyesight.  The point
    39        is, you accepted that that paragraph was incorrect did you
    40        not?
    41        A.  No, I did not accept that.  I said that the actions had
    42        been taken to amend the action accordingly because of a
    43        mistake made by a lawyer trying to work from memory, and
    44        that the similarity in the leaflets was such that I did not
    45        think it mattered tremendously, they were almost identical.
    46
    47   Q.   Who was that solicitor?
    48        A.  I do not remember his name.
    49
    50   Q.   You do not remember?  So that is something that you heard 
    51        from somebody else, is it, you did not actually speak to 
    52        the solicitor directly? 
    53        A.  I was told the story of what had gone amiss, trying to
    54        work from memory, and did not.
    55
    56   Q.   Right.  Whatever the motive for it, Mr. Preston, you do
    57        accept, you did accept last week and you must accept now
    58        because you do not have any evidence to the contrary, that
    59        that paragraph is incorrect?
    60        A.  I do not accept that in its entirety, because there

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