Road March King Machel Montano poses with his dancers prior to his performance at Diaspora Calling,held at Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday. The concert, which featured Lauryn Hill, highlighted the work of artists and musicians from Africa and throughout the African diaspora. Photo COURTESY JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
Reigning Road March champion Machel Montano is suing the Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT) for terminating its sponsorship deal with him.
In his filed lawsuit, Montano is seeking damages from TSTT for cancelling his contract after he was convicted in 2012 for assaulting four people at the Zen Nightclub, Port-of-Spain.
He is contending the company, of which the Government is the 51 per cent majority shareholder, cancelled the contract without giving him a reason.
Through the lawsuit Montano is seeking to recover the funds he would have earned for the remainder of the three-year contract.
The case came up for hearing for the first time yesterday before Justice Nadia Kangaloo in the Port-of-Spain High Court but was adjourned for a case management conference in June.
Montano, fellow soca artistes Kernal Roberts, Rodney “Benjai” LeBlanc and Joel “Zan” Feveck were found guilty of assaulting the four friends at the nightclub on April 27, 2006.
Montano was ordered to pay $13,700 in fines and $13,500 in compensation to the victims—Russel Pollonais, Blandis Brown, Janelle Lee Chee and Gerard Bowrin.
In January, Montano signed a contract to be a brand ambassador with TSTT’s rival Digicel. Montano is being represented by attorneys Larry Williams and Jacqueline Chang.
Source: Derek Achong for Trinidad and Tobago Guardian Online
