(BBC) An Ethiopian-born billionaire has won £175,000 in libel damages over allegations he had hunted his daughter down so she could be stoned to death.
Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi was born in Ethiopia, but now spends his time at homes in central London, Surrey and Saudi Arabia.
The article was published on the online news website Ethiopian Review.
Judge Richard Parkes QC said it was difficult to imagine more serious allegations.
The site’s publisher and editor-in-chief, Elias Kifle, had denied liability.
The judge said that instead of apologising Mr Kifle had repeated the libel and abused Mr al-Amoudi and his lawyers.
The High Court in London heard Mr Kifle’s response to the initial complaint was: “Here is my formal statement: Screw yourself”.
The court heard Mr Kifle then went on to describe Mr al-Amoudi as a “scumbag bloodsucker” who was “funding al-Qaeda”.
Mr al-Amoudi, 65, gave evidence during the libel trial that he was completely opposed to all forms of terrorism.
The judge said the site alleged that Mr al-Amoudi had “disgracefully and callously” married off his daughter Sarah, then 13, to an elderly member of the Saudi royal family as a gift.
‘Wholly untrue’
The article went on to claim that Mr al-Amoudi was probably responsible for murdering his daughter’s lover in Iraq and had hunted his daughter and granddaughter across London in an attempt to ensure they were stoned to death in Saudi Arabia.
Mr al-Amoudi told the court he was horrified by the “wholly untrue” article which could be seen by visitors to the website between January and August 2010, when it was finally taken down.
Mr al-Amoudi, who has a son and seven daughters, said he had a normal relationship with Sarah, who was not married.
He said she had completed a business administration degree in the UK.
Assessing damages, the judge said: “The claimant is not, I judge, a man who wears his heart on his sleeve.
“But his distress as he described the effect of the article on himself and on his family was evident to me, and the more so because, as it seemed to me, he was doing his best to preserve his composure.”
Mr al-Amoudi, who was in the top 50 of Forbes magazine’s 2009 rich list, is believed to have made his money in construction, oil refineries and mining.
Mr al-Amoudi, who is of mixed Ethiopian and Arab heritage, is sometimes described as the world’s richest black man.
He was recently reported to be financing the building of Saudi Arabia’s first car factory.
209 thoughts on “Saudi billionaire wins libel action against Ethiopian editor”
Dear great commentors who are not extremists, Gezahee
I for myself is even emotional, who is not emotional when it comes to our beloved Ethiopia? Gezahee et al, I do feel your emotions when you even write sometimes but your focus, problem solving take presedence. That is why we see people opposing you. We at crossroads, there are many different types of people on this blog and don’t fall and become sensitive about this. I think I can sense your sensitivity. We all have our weakeness. That being said, there are many types of people on this blog that MAYBE:the love of their country burns them that any input from others that seems to include the TPLF mafia makes them to be quickly defensive therefore making the process of saving Ethiopia difficult. Rememeber, the West has been successful for many years because they are able to play with their enemies in positive terms sometimes for example, Sadam Hussein. There are also blinded- by anger people who commnent and when one clearly condemns TPLF/Weyane, etc they still come back and accuse you of Weyane/TPLF supporter, there are also people who oppose you even though you condemn TPLF/Weyane because of your ethnicity, they mistrust and oppose you. I do have the same situation where I am experiencing not to trust a Tigray because of some who are staunch loyal to Weyane/TPLF so, in a way that is not our fault. There are those who comment seemingly they care for Ethiopia etc, example Annanymous, the commentator who accused of being pro Weyane, it is because he is pro Weyane or Shaebia himself but he is afraid of the type of idea you could give Elias to dismantle TPLF/Alamoudi so he has to make us believe that you are pro Weyane that no one should heed attention to you.
Elias should gather a group of really intelligent and consciencious people who can judge not because of anger, emotion, Weyane’s misleadings etc, but who understand who is who on this blog. Learning from past mistake also Elias always seek other people’s advice you truly trust before reaching decisions. To decide by own self on things that concerns a serious situation such as this and Ethiopia obviously requires consensus and democracy so you should also reach right judgement along with others and do not be persuaded by people like Ananymous.
Dear Gezaee H. #195,
I always believe Eritreans are Ethiopians, and after the two dictators have faced the fate of Hussein Mubarak, the Egyptian President, Ethiopia and Eritrea will be one under a democratically elected person, and this person can be either from Amhara or Oromo or Eritrea or Tigray or Wollo or from any other Ethiopian tribes. It is on this belief I have supported my friend Elias Kifle’s mission to Asmara, and I don’t think Elias Kifle has a hidden agenda different from the one I have been dreaming for the two countries.
When the two countries become one, Ethiopia will become one of the strongest, the prosperous, and the peace-loving country in the continent of Africa. When this happens, our three neighboring countries, Somalia, Djibouti, and South Sudan will join Ethiopia. Isn’t that an encouraging and ennobling vision? What do you think? Because I have that kind of vision, my detractors call me Shaabia or Isaiah’s servant, and, not only that, they call Ethiopian Review an Eritrean.com.net.
It seems you don’t support Elias mission to Asmara because of the foxiness of the Asmara leader, and I don’t blame you. Who likes an oppressive dictator like him who is running his country with a single party? In fact, my hatred toward Isaiah Afewerki has gone beyond my control after he has slaughtered many Ethiopian Amhara Freedom Fighters in Asmara without any trial.
You think Elias Kifle is የዋህ or ገር; he might be, but he is a very wise person who has a vision for Ethiopia without losing his የዋህነት or ገርነት. For leaving Washington and going to Asmara and interviewing that tyrant leader and getting his ideas about the two countries, Elias Kifle, I can say, is also ብልጥ and smart.
However manipulative Isaiah Afeworki is, however tricky and evil he is, and however Machiavellian or አለቃ ገብረ ሐና or Aesop he is, Elias Kifle will never be outsmarted and cheated by Isaiah Afeworki. He will never sell Ethiopia for the power-hungry Isaiah Afewerki. I am 100% sure on that!
I think you are a little bit concerned about those special groups of people who enjoy on name callings and on denigrating someone’s reputation purposely for the sake of name callings. Let me tell you the fact; all of us have no good reputation until we have removed our enemy and the enemy of the Ethiopian people, and that enemy of ours is Meles Seitanawi (Zenawi). Then we will have a good reputation, and we are entitled to fight those idlers for defaming our precious names. Right now I don’t feel I have any status, or right, or honor, or respect as far as my people back home are being kicked and hit every day by the Woyanne gang squad; therefore, ignore those unfortunate Ethiopians who are here to make troubles for most of us who are trying to find some solutions to our country’s problem.
Elias : we stand with you !!!! you always doing great job . just keep working hard , Alamudi and Tplf are anti Ethiopia and killers !!!
Dear Wuy gude,
I hear what you are saying. I do honestly thank you for spending time to write this positive outlook. I have to be honest and I am honest, but not perfect because I am human too. My perception of Ethiopians in general is very bad, be it oromo, tigrie, amhara, gurage,… Eritrean( to be honestly I hate to call our brothers and sisters in the North to call them Eritrean which is slave name, they should at least have their own name ).
You go to aiga, they call you extremist, you go tigraionline, they call you extremist and shabia. You go Abbay Media, they call you woyane. You go to nazet.com, they call you woyane, Nephtegnea. It is shame that all the Ethiopian websites never allow people to think. To have my comment accepted at aiga, I have to think like the aiga editor or EPRDF. For my comment to be accepted at Tigraionlne, I have to think like the editor or TPLF. For my comment to be accepted at Nazret.com I have to think like OLF? For my comment to be accepted at Ethiopian review, I have to think like Elias Kifle?
Wuygude, you may not agree with me, but something wrong with Ethiopian in general. The majority of Ethiopians do not have the gut to listen to their citizens. All of them they want to be boss and to tell you what to do, but you are not allowed to think, invent or create. You must follow them with looking anywhere at any angle. This was the reason Mengistu was killing everyone and Meles has been killing, imprisoniong, chasing everyone who has different idea from him. The majority of Ethiopians share these characteristics.
There is no ideology, principle, discipline, respect,recognition for citizen. You are obliged to think according to all these despotics all over. I think web hosting companies has to price hick all the website and deny Africans despots to own websites and deny them internet access. They cannot even patch their torn out trousers, but by renting websites from developed world they abusing Technology.
But wuygude: websites, olf, tplf, eplf, onlf, … may think they will chase me, they do not know me. Actually I am the kind of person who get motivated when I see people standing against truth. Even if I disappear from Aiga, tigraionline, nazret.com, ER,… it will be for good. I will come with another bomb shell that can shake their assess. That is my dream now. Taking words to action and until the all the parasites who feed on the poor Ethiopians set the people free.
I do understand there are Meles TPLF here; shabia, olf, onfl, … I know. I understand. But trust me, I am not discouraged by them, it is just I think such stupidity is completely destroying the country now. you have Ethiopians selling their pussy everywhere in Arab countries? That is the biggest shame for me. I do not care who is in Arat kilo. I do not worship any tribe. If I could I wish I could bury the tribal name under the ground. They take away my tribal name if they want it. I do not need it. I live on this planet very short life what I am going to do with the Tigrie or oromo or amhara name? what is it for ?
The biggest shame is that as I speak right now, Ethiopians women are huddle like sheeps in the Saudi Arabia airport. They are not even alllowed to talk to Ethiopians. They are shipped in and whisked to Arab slave masters? No medical insurance, no legal insurance, no life insurance, no labour contract,… just 21 century slavery administered by Meles Zenawi. For me this is the biggest shame. You can tell me you are building dams, what what,… even Mussoloni has built all the good bridges, telecoms, water systems, … not in 20 years, but in 5 years. So even fascists can build dams and bridges. Meles is a fascist Arab who counts his descency from Saudi Arabia. Meles is a Tigrignea speaking Arab who himslef confessed to Gadaffi he is Yemeni. That is not a lie; Meles and Almouldi are related by blood. Meles is an Arab by his mother and father who trace his family tree to Saudi Arabia. Where did Meles get Almouldi then? how did they get together?
Anyways, my advices are, Elias needs ideology, principle, disciplinary exercise that can convince every Ethiopian that he is working for Ethiopia. The fact Mr. Elias has not succeeded in the past 20 years is due to lack of binding and guiding ideology. Mr. Elias may not agree with me now, but most of the things he does benefits Meles TPLF. Why? he insult Ethiopian, and scare them. If you are for Ethiopia, then you must able to convince even the EPRDF members themselves. You cannot be revolutionary by chasing people and by intimidating, scaring people. I am more likely to come to you if you are tolerant and respectful. If you call woyane Everyone, then you are scaring people and they will turn away from you.
Anyway, wuy gude, I am with you and agree with all what you said.
Dear Assta:
For me, as a person, TPLF = Shabia, take out the tigrean people, bahrenegashian people ( Eritrean, slave name ) people from these cursed. TPLF = Shabia = Meles = Issayas. Mr. Elias meeting with Issayas Afeworki is the same meeting with Meles because Meles = Issayas = evil + evil = 2 evils. This is my understanding. I would never ever think of making an alliance with the person who has dragged my country into the half century bloodshed and still put my country and my people into perpetual war. If I can I would catch him and bring him to Addis Ababa Meskel square and making him confess his crime and even making him walk along chercher godena naked with shame of crime.
Even now, landlocked my country and who bombed my people in one week raid. If he had the abilility he would not even hesitate effacing Ethiopia from the face of the earth. I do not even believe in working with together with Shabia and TPLF. These evils you cannot change them. Until the end comes. They will never change. Any Ethiopian who make alliance with these evils is wrong. An evil TPLF who denied dying Tigreans food aid donated by the west and bought bullets to kill people. An evil TPLF which conscripted teenage Tigreans to die in Karura, and Nakfa? no ways, alliance with such evil human creature on earth? TPLF = Shabia = are zombies, vampires who have human face only. What type of Ethiopian would ask the world to landlock his country? What type of Ethiopian would sign alger’s agreement?
Here is my stand: No alliance with TPLF, OLF, ONLF, EPLF,… all these has to be dismantled by an ideological war without blood. Nothing more nothing less. No alliance with tribalists of the 21 century. No alliances with tribalists who despise Ethiopian written history and who try to rewrite the written history. Ethiopia does not belong to any tribe.
The other thing, Assta, you recognize Eritrea( slave name ) as a country? I do not recognize that as country? if you do that you will recongnize tomorrow Ogaden, Oromia, Benshangul, Tigray, amhara,… no recognition. Eritrea , real name Bahri Negash is a province, not a country at all. All these are provinces. I do not recognize any tribal regions. If you recognize that, tomorrow you will divide Tigray to Shao, Afar, kunama, Jeberti,… you will divide oromo to hundreds of tribes and oromia will become another 100 countries? this is crazy. Would not that be a nightmare to live? Even now it has become a nightmare because people are deported from Oromia to amhara and from Afar to addis Ababa,… did you hear that? I know people who got deported from Afar to Addis? that is crazy.
So Assta, you cannot repair Shabia and TPLF. They are old and you can not upgrade them. It is good Mr. Elias is safe and survived from Shabia. I have never been with them but I know Shabia and TPLF are socked with blood of innocent people.
My view on Mr. Elias is not based on hatred or biase. I know every person has limited capacity including myself. Individuals can be agent of change if and only if they rally people behind them. I mean all Ethiopians. Mr. Elias lacks that ability, no matter how passionate he is about Ethiopia, if he can not draw ordinary people, he cannot do it all alone. One of the big problem among us Ethiopians including myself is that we think we know better than other fellows and insulate ourselves from exploiting brilliant ideas and keep people away from us. That is the problem there is no Ethiopian spring now.
Anyways, it is not still late. we can start from scratch:
Here is a guide line:
1. Indentify problem variables
2. Make assumptions
3. Express your assumptions in terms of your variables
4. Solve it
5. Compare you theoretical resulst with the real problem in Ethiopia.
6. Does results agree? yes, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, plan, do it.
7. if results do not agree? study problem variables again, examine your assumptions, add more variables, add or change assuptions, redo 1- 6.
It is the same as planning for soccer game or following a procedure to cook a nice food. Without knowing what the problem are or who the problems are, and without plan how to do them, we cannot solve problems.
There is away to solve any problem, but it requires thinking, reasoning, and planning, not insulting, scaring, intimidating people. No one would join an intimidator or someone who insult and scare people.
If we really need change, we need to change too. We cannot bring change without changing the way we do. My personal advise is let us not waste time on useless people like Meles Zenawi. We must show them by bombshell action in real time. You can see Mubarak, he is dead almost, he does not look he has life in him. Meles will look even worse, with his Afe Megudi he will look like a dead donkey.
Assta, you have many good points, but alliance with wrong men and women is not good. You are also yewahe the fact you think shabia has good intention. You do not know the deep deep hatred within Shabia to amhara. He may talk you nice, but shabia leave alone to ally with amhara, if he has the ability, he would not allow amhara to breathe. But I see now how Yehawoch endehonachu. Shabians could not even make a lasting alliance with Meles leave alone with you. Issayas = Mr.Elias alliance was wrong from the beginning. It was an alliance of repeat of TPLF = Shabia alliance which has almost destroyed Ethiopia. If the alliance between mr. Elias and shabia could have been realized. Ethiopia would have been destroyed completely and Mr. Elias would have been assassinated. We know the inside of Shabia and TPLF they are filled with hatred against Ethiopia. The Meles TPLF just wanted to use the poor Ethiopian as his personal income capital asset for him to send his kids to Oxford. What an idiot of leader would send to oxford his kids from a nation its people die of hunger everyday?
Anyway, change is good. We all need to learn and change otherwise, we keep on begging and even our people keep on selling thiey pussy to Arab, Indian, white man, … that is very shameful for the people like me who call ourselves Ethiopians. It is better to die than to see Ethiopian trafficking teenages girls for sex and sending babies for adoption like pets. This is a wicked leadership which believe and even preach prostitution is job creation and growth. I have read such comments from a man called Addis Zemen an Eprdf diplomat? diplot of prostitution advocacy? The most wicked generation Ethiopia has ever seen. Who would in his right mind think TPLF become end up the most wicked and harlot organisation in Ethiopia?
Everyone has the right to say his/her opinion regarding Al Amoudin or Elias. However to see the irrationality of those who are trying to defend Dr. Al Amoudin goes too far and ends up as an application statement with the hope to be the next beneficiary of Dr’s “generosity.” Listen there are many who say the Sheikh has done this and that to benefit Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people. Please make a list of his positive activities to show the great “BLACK” billionaire’s good will towards our country.
One thing is very true that our Dr. has a very tricky and effective publicity and populist way of deceiving people. His main popularity mechanism is the famous sponsored tourism of some sick people to some Asian countries like Thailand, South Africa, or Kenya. My question to all those Al Amoudin’s ass-leaker is does not Ethiopia have a hospital or qualified Drs to treat things like diabetes? Then again, is that some kind of a very hip and manipulative popularity campaign with the simplest and cheap trick? What about building proper hospitals and training facilities to our young medicine students and drs to facilitate them with the needed technologies and know how so that no body needs to have to kneel down and beg to have the chance to get his/her al amoudin green card to fly to some foreign country for a diabetic treatment. Is that development for those Al Amoudin’s fans? Is that not an insult to our medical doctors and our national pride? Is that not publicity game, a hype from Al Amoudins side towards the Ethiopian people? Why do not he invest some of the profits he gained from our national gold mines in the health system where all Ethiopians could benefit rather than to go build the newest car industry in Saudi Arabia? Have you Ass leakers thought Al Amoudin’s robbery of our wealth from this angle? If he really had love and respect to our people and Intelligencia, would he send people for a shopping, and diabetic treatment tour and wedding celebrations around the globe? Has he not castrated our pride by prostituting young girls to his perverted sexual fantasies? Isn’t our gold mining our national treasure, which should have been inviolable and sacrosanct? What do you say about the land grabbing going on under his direction and his dogs protections? It is our country and it is our people, which are being raped, robbed, and insulted by such manipulative mercenaries. Are you proud of that or you are only worried about you hodam and assama interest? You know Al amoudin uses you to a point and drop you the moment he has sucked you out as if you were an old beaten up and stinking sock. Wake up ass-leakers it will not do you any good to sell your soul and pride to a pig like amoudin and his dogs! Elias, regarding the fine what those bigots hang on you take it as an honorary medallion for a bravoes job! Those dogs who are filled with malicious joy and glee of the “fine” the bigots hang on you are wicked and opportunists who are victims of begging addiction. To be honest the supposed fine is to little for such a great job you did. The exposure, your courage and the fight you did deserves millions so the $200000 sounds as an insult. Ethiopia is priceless. Moreover, it is not a fine on Elias but a fine on all Ethiopian loving people.
Long live Ethiopia!! We have survived all kind calamities has fought against all kind of enemies in the past and present but finally Ethiopia and its people shall overcome!
By the way listen to bbc’s A joint undercover investigation by BBC Newsnight and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has uncovered evidence that the Ethiopian government is using billions of dollars of development aid as a tool for political oppression.
#206 The Patriot,
Well said. Certain people like Assta B. Getu should take lessons from you not to criticize Almoudi’s religion but should take a look at the over all pictures what this man is doing to our country.
Mr. Al Amouldi:
He is just robbing the country like everybody else. He is Ethiopian is fake. He did not even build one school or one clinc except donating charities to bribe and corrupt leaders and individuals. He does not even act like Muslims. I have grown up with muslim I never saw Muslim drinking alcohol. They said this man drink and get drunk and dance with teenage girls in his Sheraton ball room. He may have money, but he is wrotten with lack of moral like his party TPLF. TPLF now believes prostitution is job creation and contributes to economic growth? What would say if a government is exporting teenage girls as old as 14 years to Arab men for sex slave? with no medical insurance? with no life insurance? with no legal insurance? with no ilo labour contract ? A 14 year old girl is supposed be in school to be an engineer or doctor? but TPLF is sending this teenage girls to serve as sex slaves for Arabs? This is on top of giving them the land ? We know what happens to maids leave alone in Arab country even in our own country? A maid hardly go away without being raped in Ethiopia? What would the Arab man do to 14 year old? They rape them and then they accuse them committing adultery and stone them to death?
The bible says, ‘ man cannot leave by bread alone.” Who is going to take care of the 14 years old girls social need, sexual, human needs? men, money is after dignity, money without dignity is vanity.
He should leave our country and our people and do his somewhere else. We do not need his grant or his charity if he want he can give it to somebody else. I did not like Al mouldi from the beginning because as soon as he set his feet in addis ababa he started throwing money to artists and individuals, socccer players. That is what Coca cola companines doe. They do not care about communities, socieities,… but they sponsor soccer games, environmental clubs to look like they are philanttropitists. That is called business mission. It is customer management or marketing strategy or exploiting strategy. That is how even NGOS make money out of people by putting wearing starving human face
Dear Assta B. Gettu and Gezaee H.
I agree with your both comment concerning Al Amoudi, Woyanne and Shabia. Al Amoudi is enemy with hidden agenda. We Ethiopian should carefully follow every move he made. His relation with Woyanne is a part of his mission to destroy Ethiopia. He work undercover as Saudi agent and his main mission is to spread Whabism and Islamisation of Ethiopia. That is why he finance the building of a lot of mosques than schools and clinics for poor Ethiopians including his native Wollo relatives.
Dear Assat in this hostile environment don’t suggest Ethiopia making confederation with other muslim countries like Djbouti and Somalia. We have enough trouble with Ethiopian muslim extermist who want to double thier population size and destroy Ethiopian Christain with demographic pressure just like they did with Lebanon Christians. We should be brave enough and fight the Muslim exterimist like Israel. The Israeli are ready to help us and share thier experience in fight aganist the Muslim exterimist like Palestanian terrorist Hamas and Lebanon Hezbolla.