The company that imported Russian Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine has sued Nation Media Group seeking Sh4.8 billion for loss of business.
The company wants the court to order NMG to pay them court filing fees and a permanent injunction restraining them from further publishing words that are defamatory to the firm.
Dinlas Pharma EPZ Limited claims that it has suffered losses of $45 million (Sh4.8 billion), following ‘COVID Millionaires’ publication in a local daily owned by NMG.
Dinlas says as a consequence of the printing and publication, its business reputation has been seriously damaged and brought into public scandal.
Through lawyer Donald Kipkorir, the company issued a cease and demand notice dated April 7 to NMG and team but they have refused and neglected to respond.
“We are apprehensive that unless injucted, the defendants shall and threaten to continue publication of same or similar defamatory words," it says.
Dinlas entered into a contract to import Sputnik V vaccine from Russia via Dubai. The importation was to be in two batches of 75,000 and 1 million doses.
The company further entered into a distribution agreement with Harleys Limited, a pharmaceutical distributor within Kenya.
“We applied for and received all approvals for the said importation,” it says.
According to court documents, the publication on April 2 portrayed Dinlas as a corrupt company intending to defraud the public.
Dinlas say the words alluded to corrupt supplies to Kemsa, being investigated by Parliament and that it imported Sputnik V without WHO approvals.(Edited by Bilha Makokha)