« … Response to slander lawsuit against former Yukon mine What a mess! I do think Former chief mine engineer Paul Christman was totally in the wrong but this should have been politely settled in 2020 and NOT dragged through the courts. He should have never very publicly and verbally abused Golden Predator CEO Janet Lee-Sheriff and her husband in 2020... & Brewery Creek's latest PEA shows that his opinions were wrong! https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/28/2375205/0/en/Sabre-Gold-Files-Brewery-Creek-Preliminary-Economic-Assessment.html
https://www.yukon-news.com/news/response-to-slander-lawsuit-against-former-yukon-mine-engineer-filed/
"... A lawsuit against the Yukon government alleges officials ignored an engineer's assessment of Golden Predator's Dawson-area Brewery Creek project, reducing the recommended financial security of $12 million to just $1 million.
But Golden Predator is firing back with its own legal action, claiming the engineer made defamatory statements about the company and its CEO during a mining conference in 2020.
Former chief mine engineer Paul Christman filed a statement of claim against Yukon's Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (EMR) on April 21, alleging he was professionally punished after raising concerns about the Golden Predator file. He's seeking damages for breach of employment contract, punitive damages and legal costs.
EMR spokesperson Sue Thomas declined comment on the lawsuit.
Golden Predator CEO Janet Lee-Sheriff also declined to comment on Christman's lawsuit. The company is not named as a defendant but is heavily referenced throughout the statement of claim.
Golden Predator and Lee-Sheriff, however, filed their own lawsuit with the B.C. Supreme Court on May 14, claiming that Christman, in his role as a Yukon government employee, "falsely and maliciously" made statements about them during the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference, commonly referred to as "Roundup." They're seeking damages, and for the government to launch an independent review on Christman's influence on any Golden Predator files.
Neither case has gone to trial yet...." Hmmm...!
"... Golden Predator's lawsuit offers a different view of the "incident," alleging that Christman "loudly and publicly" called Lee-Sheriff a "liar" when she stated in a presentation that her company held valid quartz mining and water licenses for Brewery Creek.
Lee-Sheriff, according to her claim, invited Christman over to Golden Predator's conference booth to address his concerns but Christman allegedly "yelled at and publicly berated" her over the water licence, and when she walked away, made "sexist and gendered statements" to Sheriff, including telling him to get his wife "under control."
On the second-last day of Roundup, Christman anonymously reported Golden Predator to the British Columbia Securities Commission, his lawsuit says; the next day, the company threatened a defamation suit against him for the "incident," and also demanded he be removed from all Golden Predator files.
The "incident" and threat of legal action led EMR to launch an investigation, according to Christman's statement of claim, with his director removing him from Golden Predator files.
Christman eventually left the department to work for the Yukon Workers' Compensation Health and Safety Board, the lawsuit says, taking a pay cut in the process. He also alleges he was the victim of a "retaliatory" complaint from the Public Service Commissioner after he started his new position.
Golden Predator and Lee-Sheriff, meanwhile, allege that Christman's conduct at Roundup damaged their reputations and while they emailed Christman inviting him to issue an apology on Jan. 22, 2020, he has yet to do so. ..."
I do think this legal mess will significantly slow Brewery Creek going into commercial gold production! How unfortunate for everyone involved... I just hope the ugly conversations in 2020 were recorded?
How is Sabre Gold Mines going to pay https://emr-ftp.gov.yk.ca/emrweb/COMM/major-mines/brewery-creek/mml-brewery-creek-financial-security-determination-letter.pdf this month... Imagine if they had to pay $12 million?