Ricova sues TVA Group and QMI MEDIA for defamation and claims over $17M
MONTRÉAL, Oct. 12, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - After reports that have significantly damaged the reputation of Ricova and its CEO, Dominic Colubriale, the company takes legal action to demand that TVA Group and Média QMI withdraw the reports from their platforms and publish a formal retraction.
Ricova also claims compensatory damages and punitive damages in the amount of nearly $20 million from these companies and journalists in connection with the broadcast of these defamatory and misleading reports.
As soon as the Journal de Montréal report and TVA's J.E. program were published, Ricova issued a press release refuting allegations that the company and its top executive have links to organized crime or have committed criminal acts.
In the application filed in the Superior Court, the company also wishes to correct the facts concerning several elements of the TVA Group investigation, among others:
- Ricova does not import any goods from South America into Canada. They export recyclables that they sell internationally. The claim that it would import illegal materials is clearly false;
- Neither Ricova nor its Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Colubriale, have been previously or are currently charged with any criminal offence;
- Contrary to what is stated in the reports, Ricova has never been the subject of allegations of fraud against Recyc-Québec;
- Ricova does not engage in tax evasion;
- Since 2019, the Ricova property in Colombia has been leased to a third party and that is the only reason Ricova's identification was removed;
- The people met as part of Félix Séguin's investigation, and presented as directors of the Ricova subsidiary, no longer act in this capacity since August 2021 and finally,
- No Ricova executive has ties to the Montreal mafia or Nicolo Rizzuto Senior.
Furthermore, the Institut pour la confiance dans les organisations issued a certificate of compliance following a thorough investigation into the probity of its executives. In addition, the Autorité des marchés publics has also issued the necessary authorizations to allow Ricova and its managers to bid on public contracts, following an investigation by UPAC, the Quebec Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit, as provided for in the usual procedure.
To respect the ongoing legal process, the company will not comment further.
Ricova is involved in the transportation and collection of waste and recyclable materials. Ricova collects waste from private companies and several municipalities in Quebec. Recyclable materials account for more than 80% of the materials it collects and transports. The company also operates and manages several sorting centres.
SOURCE Ricova
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