The TRO which prevented Diaz from harassing his business competitors was supposed to end on March 30 but Chief Justice Arthur Ngiraklsong extended the TRO while the motion for preliminary injunction filed by the owners of Roll “Em Productions Inc. is under advisement.
Chief Justice Ngiraklsong stated in his one page order dated March 30 that the TRO shall continue in effect until further order.The court on March 20 issued a restraining order to stop Diaz from making defamatory remarks against the owners of Roll “Em Productions.Diaz and shareholders of OTV testified yesterday.In that hearing, Diaz insisted that OTV is not a legal entity.The court ordered Diaz to stop from having any contact with the owners of the Roll “Em Productions; from having any discussions about them with their known business clients or grantors; from interfering with any of their potential off-island business clients; from making contact with any foreign governments and intergovernmental organizations such as UNESCO; from intimidating, harassing or filing complaints to agencies within Palau and from using his color of authority to discredit or unfairly disparage their business.Jeff Barabe, Kassi Berg, Mike Fox, Michael Spis Gordon and Hilde “Jill” Senior, share holders of Roll “Em Productions filed a TRO and motion for preliminary injunction against Diaz.Roll “Em Productions owners sued Diaz for assault, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, unlawful communication with foreign government, abuse of power, harassment, and unfair business practices, intentional interference with contractual relations and intentional interference with prospective business relations.According to the amended complaint filed on March 20, Diaz on June 23, 2008, called Roll ‘Em Productions office and threatened to kill Barabe.The complaint stated that aside from verbal threats, Diaz also made threats through emails.The complaint stated that Diaz on a regular basis defames Roll ‘Em Productions on his radio programs which was also aired in the local television.The amended complaint also stated that Diaz on February 5 introduced a Senate Bill prohibiting foreigners from producing media for television broadcast and from getting a license to operate a television business.The complaint stated that Diaz voted for its passage on first reading in the Senate.The complaint stated that Diaz wrote a complaint to the Foreign Investment Board (FIB) and Division of Revenue and Taxation urging the agencies to conduct investigation on Roll ‘Em for the revocation of their permit and for tax audit. The complaint also alleged that Diaz sent emails to UNESCO and accused Roll ‘Em of unlawfully operating a business in Palau.
