Skip to content

Saudi billionaire wins libel action against Ethiopian editor

Posted on , Updated on by EthiopianReview.com

(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”

  3. Alarf yalech Tat min tenkula tewetalech
    Meret Tekedo beWatehe
    Enatehe hode weste beGebahe
    Ahun Nefes Gebi nefse Wechi.

    I feel sorry for the wife and the kids involved. You took them down the drain with you. You thought that you were untouchable. Hope next is your editor in chief Al Mariam.

    NO body, No body is above the Law……

  4. What kind of calculation did the judge use to come up with this amount of money? How did they evaluate the damage? There are some things that don’t make any sense, also you can appeal the case and bring your evidence but if you don’t have anything, I am advising you ,you need to contact a lawyers in this matter .they (medroc)have lawyers in state and they will come after you . Just brotherly advice !!

  5. At this time Evil is on the throne.Alamudin is evil who sucks the blood of poor people in Ethiopia.Evil will not stay on the throne for ever.

    Time will come, and the good will take the throne.At that time Alamudin will pay the price.

    As long as Alamudin is working with Melese Zenawi, he is the enemy of the people of Ethiopia.We will do our level to bring the racist killer regime down.

    Then,I would say to Alamudin down down with Melese Zenawi.

    Elias,you are brave and the only journalist who has got a gut.Thank you and God bless you.

  6. Alamudi is a man with his words ” i am eprdf “.People we are living in western world and we have a right to write and speech and protest those Diktators and his eggs .so did ethiopian review.

  7. I do not know about the case. I will not like to be the judge now. Reason: Simple, I do not know what Mr. Elias has done because I did not read at all.

    But one things, whatever the case is, Mr. Elias does not live in London. A judge in england has no right to handle Mr. Elias’ case. Reason: Simple, Mr. Elias is not the legal jurisdiction of the judge in UK. This is absurd. I am not talking about the case. Why Mr. Alamouldi laid a charge in UK where Mr. Elias does not live? How are they going to make him pay now? Are they going to order the Americans?

    I suggest Mr. Elias you consult the law society of your area; they will help you. In the first place, what forced you to accept the charge in another country? This does not make sense. Whatsoever I do, I must be charged in my area of domicile, not in a foreign country? you need to consult legal experts on the technicalities. The legal technicality should be wrong. UK court is not an international court? I never heard of this type of legal proceedings. If this is the case, why Almouldi did not do from the Ethiopian court in addis? why from London?

    You are not the subject of England or UK. You are in the Unite states, not in england.

    Almouldi, if that is the case, do not pay the money, just lay a charge to Almouldi for taking land from Indigenous people and using it for commercial purpose. I will tell you what to do where to go to do this. You will get a big support on this case. Lay a charge against Almouldi in Washington charging him:

    1. Displacing indegenous people

    2. Taking their land
    3. Deforesting their land,
    3. Destorying thier tradition mode of life and subjecting
    indigenous people to work for him as slaves.

    You will get a huge support on this. The Botwana governemnt did similar thing by taking land drom the indigenoues people. The indigenous people won the case. They got their land back. If that is the case, do that and he will not only pay compensation, he will be judged to vacate from the land of the people.

  8. Mr.Elias Kifle.you was posting in your website any thing with out make any premedition of it’s consequence,i hope this will be good lesson for all those unschoolled and unskilled auto-called ”journalist ”.If they donot want learn profesional etic, they will be other Elias Kifles……

  12. There are many issues I disagree with Elias’s stance,but at this time I stand with Elias, and if I have to choose between Elias and Alamoudi who is Ethiopia”s enemy I will choose Elias. Alamoudi is an agent of medivial, religious zealots of Saudi Arabia. Alamoudi is DELALA with some Ethiopian who sold their souls in dismanteling our identity,culture,and religion. Can anyone explain to me why Alamodi is marrying Christians while there are many Moslem women of his faith.Does anyone anyone understand why Saudi Arabia wants 25,000 Ethiopian maids from Ethiopia? Thanks to the DELALA ALamodi. Elias has not caused that kind of damage that Alamoudi has caused.I heard very recently a street in Woldiya named by Alamoudi.Historical eroision.All Ethiopians fight the dismanteling of Ethiopia.

  13. I would not expect anything less from the f**g British Judges.

    aren’t the British behind the death of ‘king Tewodros’? yes they are
    aren’t the British who stood on the side of Egypt during Nile agreement? yes they are
    aren’t the British who do not like the Unity of Great Ethiopia? yes they are
    aren’t the British who do support intentionally tyrant legesse zenawi for genocide? yes they are

    So, for me this verdict does not come to me as a surprise, and i know before hand that this is going to happen and Mr. Elias, i know that you did have some sort of source that will support your argument and stick with it, we are right behind you a 150%. Forget those comments from ‘hodam woyanes’… i am always surprised that there is still people who are on legesse zenawi side (i know for sure that the people behind woyane are the sick one’s who are illiterate, does not have guts to stand for the truth because they are ‘hodam’ and their means of surviving is by being ‘ጀሮ ጠቢ’)…so don’t expect anything less from these Lazy people….

    You have been serving our beloved country for 20 years for justice to come without seeking money and one day the truth will prevail and believe me Mr. Elias we will be full of joy and happiness and this day is not too far. I can see it that day just right on the other side of the river and we are still on this side of the river and we are almost at the end phase of the bridge that will take us to that place and when that happens, that justice you are fighting for will be given for all unconditionally.

    God Bless Ethiopia!! Amen

  15. Elias you are such a retarded idiot you always reportinaccurate information to satisfy some hate groups. I am glad that the court has taken such a verdict on the case. Anyway for a desperate poor and idiot like you its gona be hard to understand the consequences. I am sure there will be more to come.
    I am writing to tell you that, you are the most hate filled coward who try to destroy the image of succesfull individuals in business, politics, sport etc.
    I am not writing it expecting it to be published by the way, I know you wouldnt publish such things, you are wasting your life attending trials in London, and other places, remember you are a convicted criminal in Ethiopia too. This will make you more wild..I am glad to see the court in London taking such a posetive step to descipline fake-journalists like you.

  18. I am not sure if some of you have read about the justice given to the cause of Mau Mau freedom fighters of Kenya who had been colonized, physically abused, and their sexuality castrated, none at all. Why? Because they are poor, have no lobby and do not have the power of money to corrupt the justice system. In the same token, a perverse that makes a hobby of abusing our young daughters of poor parents his sport gets “justice.” Hey, I am not a friend of Elias but fair is fair. My question to all those ass leakers is what do you say to Al Amoudi’s deeds and conducts towards our poor daughters, sisters, cousins whom he has been victimizing with his sexual perverted adventures. We know all those dogs and pimps running behind Al Amoudi selling their sisters and cousins to him for the sake of getting their wedding festivity in the finest hotels around the globe organized and financed from such amoral monster. In this case, more power to you Elias! Keep it up with your openness and distance yourself from Isayas. Elias you are at least honest enough to tell those bigots to screw themselves. Al Amoudin hands off from our daughters you son of a bitch!

  19. Every British media is covering the news.

    http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/tycoon_wins_libel_payout_over_claims_1_3631249

    Tycoon wins libel payout over claims

    Published on Saturday 30 July 2011 01:00

    One of the richest men in the world today won £175,000 libel damages over a claim that he had been hunting his daughter down so she could be stoned to death.

    Judge Richard Parkes QC said at London’s High Court that it was one of those rare cases where the lawyers’ customary hyperbole – that it was difficult to imagine more serious allegations – might perhaps be justified.

    The sum was awarded to billionaire international businessman Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi against Elias Kifle, publisher and editor-in-chief of the online news site Ethiopian Review.

    Ethiopian-born Mr Al-Amoudi, who has homes in central London and Surrey, said he was horrified and angered by the “wholly untrue” article which alleged that:

    Mr Al-Amoudi had married off his 13-year-old daughter Sarah to an elderly and disabled senior member of the Saudi royal family as a gift;

    That he had knowingly financed international terrorism;

    That he was probably responsible for the March 2004 revenge murder in Iraq of his daughter’s supposed long-term lover;

    That he was and had been hunting his daughter and supposed grand-daughter across London in order to ensure their execution in Saudi Arabia by flogging or stoning.

    Mr Al-Amoudi said his relationship with Sarah, who was unmarried, was the kind of normal one any father had.

    She had just completed a business administration degree in the UK, was a normal student and did not cover her hair or face.

    Mr Al-Amoudi, one of 50 richest men in the world, obtained judgment by default against Mr Kifle in January this year.

    Mr Kifle was not present or represented at the hearing to assess damages.

  20. Elias, tell the uk Judge to screw himself again.

    I personally will be on your side and willing to pay anything
    required from me to help you and to screw the
    UK judge and Al Amoudi once again

    God Bless free press and free spech.

    Down with money talks

  21. Elias lough out loud brother U are a huge winner. Trust me even monye talk work in the west U still a big winner. U should selaberate this. God beless U. we with U keep it up.

  22. Dear Arbegnaw Elias,
    The battle-line has been drawn in the sand. It is beyond David and Goliadth. It’s the battle Royal- between Good and Evil. By all accounts you have won the battle hands down since the Luciferian judges and their ilks are running scared looking for subterfuge in European courts! Money or family etiquette is not the issue here since so-called billionaires don’t give a squat either. You have nothing to worry in the land of the free and the home of the brave in the Good Old USA where you can exercise your consciousness at will.
    This is a test – test test test. Test of will. I know you brother as you’ve been steeled in the past you will never yield nor stoop to the sychophants and infantile voices who don’t know any better than being door mats to the power that be
    Sooner or later the “Dragon – serpent -worshipers – in Addis Sheraton will meet the laser beam sword of Seife Michael!!!

  23. Look at the head line: it says ‘saudi billionaire’. I thought Alamoodin was Ethiopian. At least that is what he is telling Ethiopians when he is in Ethiopia, sitting with his 16 year old concubines.

  25. The Alchol trader Soudi Arabian[not Ethiopian] businessman Sheik Alamodi should stand trial at Soudi court for not obeying Soudi Sharia law. Those Ethiopians who have received a gift of money or anything else from Alamodi should know that they will face court action in future as these money is robbed from Ethiopia and belongs to the Ethiopian people.

  26. You are the most despicable excuse of a human being. The appropriate sentence should have been to deport you back to Ethiopia where you have been sentenced already. Ethiopians would have enjoyed seeing you hang!!

  27. Elias, God bless you. Those who are writting against you are some Tplf criminal thugs supportes. Alamoodin is enemy nr 2 after fascist Meles Zenawi. so ethiopian people donot forgate his ugly collaboration with Weyane regime. We are with u & you have the right to appeal to higher court again. At the end justce will definetly prevail any time soon. Keep a good job. We shall will over evil Tplf.

  28. Why are some people saying Elias is a winner. The guy was asked to £175,000 for simply writing an article. What has Elias gained by writing the article,nothing instead he is going to pay big price, £175,000!. Brother Elias I hope you learn a big lesson.

  29. Now we know if we pay 175.000 we can say or write anything about Al Amudi ..that is a price of one Black rich man. How much should I pay if I write something about the white queen and how much it cost me the PM of England or The Black president of America. How much had to cost me the white president of America Mr.Bush. How much did the British Empire paid or suppose to pay for the injustice you made in the whole world. In India , Pakistan, Palstine , in Africa, Asia , middle east. How much does it cost dehumnizing a person during colony era. Do we have to multiply 175.000 x 800,000 in India 175,00 x 4 ,000, 000 in Palstine or 250,000,00 x 175,00 in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe , Nigeria, Ghana etc. Typical British..

    Elias, You don’t post my comment most of the time…you should also respect other oppinion. Keep doing your job. don’t give a dam to the Britsch court as they don’t have moral ground to judje any one in the world if they go back and see their history.

  31. Testifying in court the pig was horrified……….. Really ,seriously…. 99.9 percent of Ethiopian people in the country & abroad will testify if we get our chance in fair and balanced court how we are people without a country,voiceless,murdered / jailed in daylight,traumatized,terrified,angry,threatened,scrutinized,,hostages,………….the list will go on. This idiot thinks he has done his homework silencing and paralyzing Ethiopians in ethiopia once and for all. It looks like his next project is to silence Ethiopians abroad. Bring it on. THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .THE RICHEST CONTINENT IN THE WORLD.

    ……..is believed to have made his money in construction………really, seriously………NOT SO SURE……YEAH……

    We know how bill gates and others made their fortune. It is public information. This pig will disclose how he made his forge fortune in fair and balance court.

    ER will always stand up for the voiceless. God bless Elias kifle

  32. Britain, Long a Libel Mecca, Reviews Laws

    By SARAH LYALL
    Published: December 10, 2009

    LONDON — England has long been a mecca for aggrieved people from around the world who want to sue for libel. Russian oligarchs, Saudi businessmen, multinational corporations, American celebrities — all have made their way to London’s courts, where jurisdiction is easy to obtain and libel laws are heavily weighted in favor of complainants.
    Enlarge This Image
    Kristinn Ingvarsson/Kronimages

    Hannes Gissurarson, a professor at the University of Iceland, was sued over remarks that he posted on the university’s Web site.
    Related
    Times Topics: Libel and Slander

    Embarrassed by London’s reputation as “a town called sue” and by unusually stinging criticisms in American courts and legislatures, British lawmakers are seriously considering rewriting England’s 19th-century libel laws.

    A member of the House of Lords is preparing a bill that would, among other things, require foreigners to demonstrate that they have suffered actual harm in England before they can sue here.

    English libel law is the opposite of America’s in many ways. In the United States, the plaintiff, or accuser, must prove that the statement in question was false; public officials must also prove that it was made maliciously, with “reckless disregard” for the truth. Read more at:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/11/world/europe/11libel.html

  33. You see, how justice is practiced! You are living in a developed world not in Africa. If you again open your mouth with such an imaginable false accusation you will get your death/life venality. Be careful! Educate yourself first!

  34. Well Elias and others,
    There is a “Solution”.. If the Rich are using their power to buy justice and the justice is ready to be sold for money “£”.. Simple! we the PEOPLE in US have one more good OPTION, we know US has high calibre lawyers (BLACKS) not Colonialist like UK. Means, we will have a good chance as a PEOPLE. Our voice will be heard nice and clear. Today what happened to ELIAS can happen to any of us at any time any day. So we need to stop the action “buying justice by money”. That is an old colonial tradition. Here PEOPLE come first. Freedom of speech comes first. Not money. My offer is this, if Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi can not apologize the PEOPLE “us” we will sue him as Class Action law suite in US court. Now, I will personally start collecting signatures if Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi does not drop this fraud case and apologize ASAP

    We will sue him Billion Dollar

  36. “abebe says:

    You know Elias this may be a good signal to you not to disrespect human beings.”

    #4, Elias did not disrespect “human beings” Just those who sell Ethiopia and children of Ethiopia to the rest of the world. Who said Melse, Azeb Al Amudi and the rest of Mafia family are human beings? You may belong to the same category.

  37. Ethiopian billionaire wins libel action in UK

    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.

  40. Well, it is not a surprise that Woyanes are out of the woods to celebrate Almoudi’s small victory and against their own Ethiopian brother who is fighting for freedom, justice and equality for all Ethiopians. The money the British Justice awarded to a the Saudi billionaire Almoudi is a pocket change for him and an insult by itself. They just want him to go away and close this weak case.
    Elias, please post it again if you can the story of the Saudi billionaire Almoudi’s daughter Sara herself said about her father and her family would do to her and how she was frightened of them if the British government deported her back to Saudi Arabia. If I’m not mistaken, Sara was the one who said everything that Almoudi accused you for. Almoudi should drag his own daughter to court for slandering his family name instead of you. This is just a case Almoudi trying to show his solidarity with the TPLF regime that way he can control the Ethiopian Gold, mining business and other Ethiopian natural resources and our beautiful young poor girls. What a total shame for our country and our people that the country our grand parents died for is taken by money hungry people destroying the Ethiopian territory, culture and religion as we knew it. Death to Woyane TRAITORS!

  41. hey, Elias good job you get attention all over the world. BBC news and so on . this is free speech if you have some evidence .

    good job, you get good advantage to advertise your self by pressing this issues.

    REMEMBER use this chance TO PUT YOUR SELF INTERNATIONAL STAGE

    YOU GIVE SPEECH FOR BBC AND OTHER NEWS AGENCY AND TOLD THEM YOUR SIDE OF STORY

    WHEN YOU DOING THAT WE CAN SAY YOU WIN

  42. Where was the allegation committed? If the allegation was committed in the US why did it go to the Uk? It is all a matter of jurisdictiob. Therefore, the judgment is u\invalid. The court in UK has no jurisdiction over the matter. Elias Kifle is a freeman.

  44. sorry elias I told you so many times to be fair on the news you post.We ethiopian need person like al amoudi than you elias.lets do the job on mother land ethiopia not on the web.It is time to respect hard workers.shame on you elias……….

  46. United kingdom is too far. Alamudin the money-goliad you are too far away. come closer to where david is. Alamudin you are a drunkard sucker, get screwed with your daughter and please take to me to a uk court for this also. I love the whole drama. it is fiction.

  47. Elia a big liar. why do you lie at your age..are you teaching a good ethics to your kids if you have any…You are always loser..shame on you..when are you starting to behave like adult and normal person..probably that is how you are created with such defects..you are a big problem man..I stopped visiting your review long time ago I just drop by to let you know that you are number one lier and you don’t learn from your mistake..shame on you Man

  48. Next time you deserv three to five years of jail time. After that four years of study of journalism and start all over ok..Then you will nevr catch up with our country.

  49. Almouldi is not an Ethiopian by the way. He is an Arab. He is funded by Arab Wahabism to spread islam in Ethiopia. He has built 1000s of new mosques. He is an islam missionary like the protestant European missionary in Ethiopian. He has nothing to do with Ethiopia. Those of you who took money from him by charity, give him back. you are using a devils money. Almouldi is a devil in Ethiopia. The Europeans are selfish and crazy with money. But Almouldi will bury them alive. They are fools. Is Almouldi going to tell them he supports terrorism? Almouldi said he opposes all terrorism? This is a joke. This is just like saying Al-queda is only Osa ma bin laden. Elias, ignore this hodam Brittons. Almouldi will bury them alive one day. European are always after money. They are destroying themselves. Arabs are occupying Europe and they are multiplying like rabbits and the future is a loom to Europeans. Europeans have an ever low birth rate, high single life less lesbian, gay family base, and Arabs reproducing like cocckroaches, Europe will be a history. Arabs will not bomb them or invade them by military. They will go into their country and take over it by over reproduction. This is happening. The reason they are taking Ethiopian girls 15 years old is for reproduction and for islamization of Ethiopia. They even say Bilal the Ethiopian first muslim was a slave black man. They do not even accept muslims from other races. For instance, Somalians has refused to go to Saudi Arabia because they do not see Somalians as Muslims. Almouldi is the friend and kinsmen of those Arab fanatics. Who would expect Almouldi to declare he supports terrorism? Leave alone Almouldi, would even Osa ma agree he is a terrorist? Wait, the Americans, Brittons,… will pay a price. We will see if Islam or Arabs like Almouldi will spare them when they get chance.

  50. ELIAS U DESERVED TO BE PUNISHED. U ARE PROFESSIONAL LIAR. I HOPE ENGINEER HAILU AND DR TAYE SHOULD SUE U TOO. YOU WERE MUD-SLIDING THEIR NAMES. WE HOPE U WILL LEARN SOMETHING FROM THIS AND CHANGE YOUR STYLE U NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT U WRITE. I HOPE FOR NOW ESAYAS WILL PAY THE DAMAGE. ELIAS U HAVE A DAUGHTER WHY U CHARACTER ASSASSINATE SOME ONES DAUGHTER ? I DON’T THINK U HAVE A RELIGION AT ALL.

Leave a Reply