[Question] False Accusation!

[BJH]

Hi
A director in our company has falsely accused me of arranging for the Company Accountants to manipulate the company financials and director loan accounts to my benefit.
Is this considered defamation of character and is there any action that I can take against this director. The accusations were made on email and sent to board members, spouses, attorneys as well as an external party that has no relevance in the company.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Greig Whitton]

Possibly, but proving defamation is not as simple as "somebody said something mean about me". The courts would have to be satisfied that the alleged defamation was both wrongful as well as intentional. Furthermore, the director could claim that their statements constituted fair comment or were privileged.

Surely you should be speaking to an attorney about this instead of soliciting advice from strangers on a public forum?

[HR Solutions]

Yep a proper experienced attorney might be best

[Dave A]

Dependent on the big picture, sometimes a mature response skillfully addressing the accusation might be more effective for your reputation than running to court. That said, having a third party review your position and response before you get it out probably wouldn't hurt.