LONDON: Daily Mail journalist David Rose and Broadsheet CEO Kaveh Moussavi discussed sharing information on Shahbaz Sharif vs Associated Newspapers Ltd defamation case but started arguing when Moussavi asked him for £1 million in exchange for sharing information, according to text messages released by David Rose.
The bitter fall out between David Rose and Kaveh Moussavi continued to grow over the failed £250,000 commission deal a day after Geo News exclusively revealed, through Kaveh Moussavi’s interview, that not only David Rose arranged meeting between PM’s Adviser on Interior and Accountability Shahzad Akbar and Kaveh Moussavi but also sat in the meeting on October 19, 2020 and asked both sides to find ways of working together in future.
David Rose released some parts of his conversation with Kaveh Moussavi showing that the duo discussed possible collaboration in Shahbaz Sharif’s case but their conversation soon descended to a slanging match. According to Kaveh Moussavi, David Rose met him at his home and a deal was struck that Kaveh Moussavi will pay £250,000 commission to David Rose. Kaveh Moussavi has said David Rose told him that he knew “new people” in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration. Within days Shahzad Akbar flew to London, on David Rose’s request, and a meeting was held in London, attended by David Rose and others.
According to screenshots released by David Rose, on February 6, 2021, Kaveh Moussavi shared Geo News story of Shahbaz Sharif-Daily Mail defamation trial with Moussavi telling David Rose: “Now your newspaper really needs help from me”!
David Rose replied: “It was only a preliminary hearing and the PML-N reports are crap. It is no victory for Shahbaz - if anything, the reverse. But if you have info that would help, let’s have a chat”. Kaveh Moussavi replied: “I am waiting for my new contract. Otherwise, £1 million and it is your newspaper. Which is another way of saying yes I have”.
David Rose replied: “Sorry I am pinching myself. I thought I must be dreaming. Are you seriously suggesting that you have evidence that would assist the administration of justice and that you will only disclose it on receipt of £1 million”?
Kaveh Moussavi then laughed at David Rose’s implication with laughing emojis that Daily Mail was interested in the administration of justice. Kaveh wrote “Administration of Justice at the hands of Daily Mail?”, “v another crook”, “give me a break”.
David Rose added: “As I’ve already made clear, Kaveh Moussavi’s claim that I asked him for money for arranging a meeting with Shahzad Akbar to discuss the Broadsheet case is false. I really can’t imagine why he’s saying this in public now, 17 months after the meeting. He didn’t seem too impressed. Well folks. You can decide who you want to believe. It’s true he offered me money, but I refused it. But he did ask for money from me and my paper. Maybe one of the reporters who interviewed him about the meeting with Mr Akbar will now be able to discover what this great info he implies he has about the Sharif family. Let’s hope he doesn’t ask for a million to give it up”. David Rose has confirmed that he met Kaveh Moussavi at his home in Oxford, organised the meeting between them and also took part in the meeting but denies asking for £250,000 as commission.