Over £250,000 commission expose: Broadsheet challenges David Rose to sue him

LONDON: The Broadsheet LLC’s owner Kaveh Moussavi had challenged Daily Mail reporter David Rose to sue him at the London High Court for defamation claiming that David Rose asked for £250,000 commission from him and became bitter towards him when the deal didn’t go ahead.

Kaveh Moussavi invited David Rose to initiate a legal case against him at the London High Court if he thought that the claim was untrue that he arranged meeting of Kaveh Moussavi with PM Imran Khan’s accountability adviser Shahzad Akbar, personally sat in it and took part in negotiations for a future assets recovery deal.

Kaveh Moussavi said when he met Shahzad Akbar at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington, in October 2019 David Rose actively participated in the discussions about a new contract and the terms of it. Kaveh Moussavi said that Shahzad Akbar was already aware as a discussion at that time was ongoing that Pakistan may give a new contract to the Broadsheet owner while not immediately paying nearly $30 million for which a judgement existed at that time.

He said he was willing to entertain the idea of getting a new contract on the basis that the PTI government may have turned a new page on and there may be a new contract on the same old terms. He said: “David Rose was actively involved in the conversation.”

Kaveh Moussavi said that he had a deal with David Rose only for the £250,000 commission on $30 million that Pakistan owed him and no discussion took place on any commission or cut on the new contract that came under discussion.

Kaveh Mousaavi claimed that David Rose came to his house and told him that the new government of Pakistan – under Imran Khan – was “much different” from the previous regimes. “David Rose said that he knew Minister Shahzad Akbar” and could help to get money for him as long as he was paid £250000 in commission for his services.

Kaveh Moussavi said: “David Rose said let me try and resolve this issue. He said he has a mortgage of £250,000 and I said I would settle it for him. I told him I would pay him once I am paid off. This figure came from him.”

Kaveh Moussavi alleged that since he revealed that David Rose was behind arranging his meeting with Kaveh Moussavi and Shahzad Akbar, the Daily Mail journalist has been involved in behind-the-scenes briefings with Pakistan reporters asking them to write negative stories. “I am disappointed with the tactics of David Rose. He has been engaged in tactics that led to the shut down of News of The World. He has been calling reporters to publish and plant dirty stories on me. This man is a friend of a minister responsible for fighting corruption.”

Kaveh Moussavi said to David Rose: “If you have to say anything about me, say it in a court of law. If you think I have said anything untrue, say it in a court of law. Be my guest and sue me. I profoundly believe in the rule of law. I have fought the government of Pakistan for upholding the rule of law. If I have said something wrong, sue me. If he has half the conviction in behind-the-scenes briefings, if he had half the belief in what he has been saying, I am standing in front of reporters but why doesn’t he?”Kaveh Moussavi said David Rose released part of their chat showing that he had asked for money in return for giving information to Daily Mail after he exposed that he was looking for commission. He invited David Rose to “come out in the open and go to the court”.

Kaveh Moussavi told the media that for their meeting at the Royal Garden Hotel, Shahzad Akbar came all the way from Pakistan but showed no interest in the evidence he showed him General Malek and the one billion dollars account.He said: “I wonder why a minister would come here. I wonder whether this money was going any further than David Rose.”