The high court has heard the opening of a defamation trial in which Conservative and Reform UK donor Mohamed Amersi claims that a 2021 Panorama episode and a BBC article cost him a knighthood and a peerage. The BBC is defending the reports on grounds of truth and public interest.
Mohamed Amersi, a donor to both the Conservative Party and Reform UK, has begun a defamation trial against the BBC over a 2021 Panorama programme and an online article. His barrister, Oliver Powell, told the high court on Wednesday that the reports caused “very serious harm” to his client’s reputation.
The programme, titled Pandora Papers: Political Donors Exposed, and the article alleged strong grounds for suspecting that during Amersi’s work for the Swedish telecoms company Telia he was involved in deals that he knew or should have known were corrupt. The BBC’s reporting focused on a $220m payment made in January 2010 to a Gibraltar company called Takilant.
Powell said the BBC’s case is that the real beneficial owner of Takilant was Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan, and that she had influence over the Uzbek telecommunications regulator. Amersi denies that he or Telia knew or suspected that Karimova was the ultimate owner, and says there was no basis for claiming he should have known.
In a witness statement read to the court, Amersi said the “scandal cost me a knighthood and a peerage” and that he was debanked by Union Bancaire Privée of Switzerland. He also said he had been forced to step aside from his educational philanthropy.
The BBC, defending its reporting, said in its skeleton defence that “no corroborating documentary evidence to support Mr Amersi’s assertions has been disclosed” and suggested there were factual inaccuracies in his statement. The broadcaster claims there is no evidence that Amersi suffered serious reputational harm from the programme or article, which remains online.
Powell argued that the BBC was relying on admissions made by Telia to the US Department of Justice in 2017 under a deferred prosecution agreement, calling that evidence untested “hearsay” that should be given “little or no weight”. He pointed to a legal review commissioned by Telia that was “unable to determine with any certainty that there was any legal or financial connection between Takilant and Gulnara Karimova”.
Amersi’s legal team says the BBC has failed to provide any evidence of his knowledge or involvement in corruption in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan or Nepal. They say his work for Telia in Uzbekistan was limited to fewer than six weeks in December 2009 and 2010.
Amersi is seeking damages, including aggravated damages, and an injunction to prevent further publication of the statements he argues are defamatory. He is expected to give evidence for six days from 11 November. The trial continues.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The outcome could affect how British broadcasters report on political donors and offshore financial dealings.
- The case tests the BBC’s public interest defence against detailed claims of reputational harm.
- It highlights the intersection of journalism, political donations, and foreign corruption allegations.
Background
The dispute stems from a 2021 Panorama episode broadcast as part of the Pandora Papers investigation, a global leak of offshore financial documents. The programme and a related BBC article examined Amersi’s role as an adviser to Telia in Uzbekistan and a $220m payment to a Gibraltar company. Telia had entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the US Department of Justice in 2017 over corruption allegations. Amersi has consistently denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.
Key Perspectives
Mohamed Amersi: Claims the BBC’s reporting was based on “inference and generalised suspicion rather than any evidential foundation”, and that it cost him honours and banking services. He says he had no knowledge that Takilant was secretly owned by Gulnara Karimova.
BBC: Defends the programme and article on grounds of truth and public interest. It says there is no corroborating documentary evidence to support Amersi’s assertions of reputational harm, and that Telia admitted to a series of corrupt deals in multiple countries.
What to Watch
- Amersi’s six days of evidence beginning 11 November.
- Whether the court gives weight to Telia’s US deferred prosecution agreement.
- The BBC’s ability to produce contemporaneous evidence linking Amersi to knowledge of corruption.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedAmersi says BBC reports cost him a knighthood and a peerage.World news | The Guardian: “Amersi said the “scandal cost me a knighthood and a peerage””
- SupportedAmersi is suing the BBC over a Panorama episode linking him to Uzbek corruption.World news | The Guardian: “An episode of Panorama in 2021 and a BBC article caused “very serious harm” to Mohamed Amersi, his barrister, Oliver Powell, said on Wednesday.”
- SupportedThe BBC programme and article alleged strong grounds to suspect Amersi was involved in corrupt deals during his work for Telia.World news | The Guardian: “The programme and article alleged strong grounds for suspecting that during Amersi’s work for the Swedish telecoms company Telia he was involved in deals that he knew or should have known were corrupt or involved corrupt payments.”
- SupportedPowell said the reports caused “very serious harm” to Amersi’s reputation.World news | The Guardian: “An episode of Panorama in 2021 and a BBC article caused “very serious harm” to Mohamed Amersi, his barrister, Oliver Powell, said on Wednesday.”
- Partly supportedKarimova is the eldest daughter of Uzbekistan’s former president.World news | The Guardian: “The BBC’s case is that the real beneficial owner of Takilant was actually Gulnara Karimova, the eldest daughter of the president of Uzbekistan.”
- Partly supportedKarimova had influence over Uzbekistan’s telecommunications regulator.World news | The Guardian: “And it is their case that she is said to have had influence over the regulator of the Uzbek telecommunications sector.”
- SupportedThe BBC’s reporting focused on a $220m payment made in January 2010 to Takilant, a Gibraltar company.World news | The Guardian: “The focus of the BBC’s reporting in 2021 was Amersi’s work as an adviser to Telia, then known as TeliaSonera, in Uzbekistan along with a payment of $220m (£165m) made in January 2010 to a Gibraltar company called Takilant.”
- SupportedAmersi denies that he or Telia knew or suspected Karimova was Takilant’s ultimate owner, and says there was no basis for saying he should have known.World news | The Guardian: ““Mr Amersi will say that neither he nor Telia knew or suspected that Ms Karimova was the ultimate beneficial owner of Takilant and there was no basis for saying that he should have known.””
- SupportedThe BBC claims there is no evidence Amersi suffered serious reputational harm from the programme or article.World news | The Guardian: “The BBC, which is defending its content on the grounds of truth and public interest, claimed there was no evidence that Amersi suffered serious reputational harm either from its programme – Pandora Papers: Political Donors Exposed – or the article, which remains online.”
- SupportedPowell called the Telia admissions “hearsay” and said they should receive “little or no weight”.World news | The Guardian: “He said any such admissions were untested “hearsay” and the court should give them “little or no weight”.”
- Partly supportedAmersi’s legal team says the BBC failed to provide evidence of his knowledge or involvement in corruption in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan or Nepal.World news | The Guardian: “Amersi claims that the BBC has failed to provide any evidence of his knowledge or involvement in corruption in any of those countries”
- SupportedAmersi’s work for Telia in Uzbekistan lasted fewer than six weeks in December 2009 and 2010.World news | The Guardian: “his “work for Telia in Uzbekistan was very limited in scope during a very short period of fewer than six weeks in December 2009 and 2010”.”