Ken Bates on the witness stand: 'I'm no anti-Semite'
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/leeds/Ken-Bates-on-the-witness.5358941.jp
Published Date: 11 June 2009
LEEDS United chairman Ken Bates today denied in court he was
anti-Semitic, after being accused of "echoing the Nazis" when he called
a business rival a "shyster".
Mr Bates, 77, is being sued for libel by businessman Melvyn Levi over
three articles written by the chairman in the club's match-day programme
in 2006 and 2007, and a letter sent to fans in 2007.
The articles variously accused Mr Levi, 65, of being a shyster, an
"enemy within", attempting to blackmail the club and scaring off
potential investors.
As a result of being called a "shyster", Mr Levi accused Mr Bates of
using anti-Semitic language, and said he had echoed language used by the
Nazis. It is, however, no part of Mr Levi's claim that Mr Bates is
anti-Semitic.
At London's High Court today, Mr Bates insisted he was no anti-Semite,
had worked with many Jewish people - including a business partner -
visited Jerusalem for a Bar Mitzvah at the Wailing Wall, employed Jewish
people and had made a donation of £5,000 to an Israeli Emergency Appeal
during the Six Day War.
Arguing that "shyster" is not an anti-Semitic word, Mr Bates said: "I
find it deeply offensive that Mr Levi has refused to accept that fact in
this claim, but has put forward no factual basis on which he could
purport to believe that I am anti-Semitic or would use the language of
the Nazis."
Mr Bates claims that Mr Levi "imperilled" the financial future of Leeds
United despite being under a "moral" obligation to complete the sale of
the club to a consortium led by him.
The dispute arose after Mr Bates - who is fighting the claim tooth and
nail - took over the club in early 2005 from the Yorkshire Consortium
Trust, of which Mr Levi was a member.
Leeds' chairman both now and then, Mr Bates says that Mr Levi blocked
the sale of the remaining shares in the club in September 2005 when he
had no reason for doing so.
Mr Levi says he was never acting in a personal capacity – but rather for
a company he was involved with called Cope Industrial Holdings - and
there was a "genuine" legal dispute over whether or not a "call option"
on the shares had lapsed.
As a result of Mr Levi's stance, further shares were issued in Leeds
United, diluting the importance of the "call option" and leaving Mr Levi
with, in Mr Bates' own words, a "self-induced bloody nose".
Of the allegedly libellous articles, Mr Bates - who entered the witness
box today on the hearing's eighth day - said he was surprised when he
received a letter from Mr Levi's lawyers in 2007 because he believed his
accusations were true.
"I believed then, and believe now, that what I said about his behaviour
was true," said Mr Bates. "I believed that I did not owe him an apology
and nor should I pay him the substantial compensation that he claimed."
In September 2005, said Mr Bates, he was "anxious to resolve the
dispute" with Mr Levi but "strongly believed he (Mr Levi) was in the
wrong and I was not prepared to allow him to use the difficulties caused
by his conduct as a bargaining tool".
Mr Bates said that Mr Levi was "obliged morally and contractually" to
sanction the "call option" and his refusal to do so was "dishonourable,
unscrupulous and disgraceful".
Accusing both Mr Levi and his business partner, Robert Weston, of trying
to "blackmail" the club, Mr Bates said that he found the demands
"extortionate and wholly unwarranted".
Of Mr Levi himself he alleged: "He sought to exploit Leeds United and
extract from it very considerable personal and other benefits to which
he had no entitlement whatsoever in return for...completing the option."
Later he added: "In my view, Mr Levi's actions were directly contrary to
the best interest of the club and imperilled its financial future. In
these circumstances, Mr Levi's behaviour was, in my view, dishonourable,
unscrupulous and disgraceful and amounted to blackmail of the club and
myself."
In August 2005, Mr Bates said he asked Leeds' chief executive, Shaun
Harvey, to ban Mr Levi from all Leeds games after Mr Levi allegedly
criticised Mr Bates at a number of matches.
"I was simply not prepared to accept this behaviour from a man who was
meant to represent the club," said Mr Bates.
The court has heard that, during a conversation with Leeds United
investor, George Canning, Mr Levi allegedly said Mr Bates owed him money
"and that people can get shot over matters like this".
Mr Bates said today that this appeared to him to be an "implied threat
on my life". The club chairman added that a wealthy local businessman
and Leeds United supporter, Steve Parkin, had said in January 2007 that
he had overheard Mr Levi making similar threats against Mr Bates at a
restaurant called the Flying Pizza.
The case, due to conclude next week with written submissions from both
sides' legal teams, continues.
_______________________________________________
the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators
accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors.
Leedslist mailing list
[email protected]
http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist
Visit http://tinyurl.com/ce37mx NOW!
