BURST
A local businessman has filed a response to Mayor Ken Sim’s defamation lawsuit, alleging Sim has a history of drinking alcohol at events during his time as mayor.
In May, Sim filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court saying he was defamed by comments made by his former chief of staff and campaign manager, Kareem Allam, in two private conversations in 2023 and 2024. The lawsuit also alleged defamation resulting from public posts made on X by local businessman Alex G. Tsakumis.
Sim’s lawsuit alleges that Allam told Tsakumis in November 2023 that Sim had driven his car while drunk and was stopped by Vancouver Police Department officers, who let the mayor go without being booked or cited.
On Monday, Tsakumis filed a response to the lawsuit on behalf of him and Allam, arguing the X posts he made about Sim are not defamatory, and that he was justified in his posts or that they were written to address reasonable matters of public interest concerning an elected official.
Tsakumis acknowledges that a review of police interactions with Sim was conducted but “expressly denies the said report is accurately described in (Sim’s) notice of civil claim.”
B.C.’s Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner investigated the allegation that VPD officers had pulled over the mayor in 2023 and inappropriately let him go, but the report called the allegations of police misconduct “baseless.”
Instead, Tsakumis alleged in his response that Sim has a history of drinking while attending various events during his time as mayoral candidate or as mayor.
The lawsuit lists a number of events between 2018 and 2024, including a 2018 NPA party nomination meeting, a 2020 B.C. Liberal dinner at Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant, a 2023 celebration of life, a 2023 anniversary at Pink Pearl Restaurant, a 2023 trip to attend the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and Greek Days 2023 and Khatsahlano 2023.
The listed occasions also include a 2022 visit to Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar and a 2022 concert at Rogers Arena, both of which took place while Sim was a mayoral candidate and not yet elected.
The response also alleges “a special adviser to the mayor’s office and a senior party executive sought advice from this defendant, including advice related to the plaintiff’s alcohol consumption” during Sim’s first six months in office.
Tsakumis is arguing his posts did not defame Sim and that there was no damage done to Sim, and is asking the court to dismiss all claims against him.
More to come …