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ShellNews.net: News on High Court Battles over articles on Donovan "anti-Shell" websites: EIGHT Royal Dutch Shell companies vs. Dr John Huong: Last updated May 2008

Four years ago EIGHT Royal Dutch Shell companies served High Court proceedings followed by multiple injunctions, against a Shell whistleblower, Dr John Huong, in respect of postings made under his name on a website described by the Financial Times as being "anti-Shell". The website is owned and operated by Alfred Donovan and his son, John Donovan. The main action is for alleged defamation. As far as we are aware Dr Huong remains under threat of being imprisoned for contempt of court. The first articles were published in May 2004. We understand that the next hearing is scheduled for August 2008.

The Malaysian High Court Judge and Shell lawyers were notified in writing within days of the initial proceedings being issued that Alfred Donovan was responsible for authoring and publishing the alleged defamatory comments, not Dr Huong. John Donovan has also admitted his key involvement but both he and his father maintain that the substance of the allegations is true and therefore not libelous.

Shell chose to bring the flawed proceedings in the Malaysian Courts, which are mired in corruption. Shell has a close relationship with the thoroughly corrupt Malaysian government. Jon Chadwick, the Shell Country Chairman in Malaysia at the time the proceedings were issued, received a title equivalent to being made a Lord in the UK, by the corrupt government. Several hundred former Shell employees in Malaysia are suing Shell Malaysia for unlawful deductions from retirement funds. Jon Chadwick, now a Shell VP in the Gas & Power division, was also up to his neck in the retirement fund litigation scandal.

First some interesting self-explanatory leaflets followed by Court Documents...

Note: You will need Adobe® Reader to view and print the documents and leaflets below. Free downloads are available at Adobe's website. Please be patient when downloading, particularly in respect of the Shell International Petroleum Company Complaint to the World Intellectual Property Organisation.

CASE BROUGHT AGAINST SHELL BY DR HUONG FOR WRONGFUL DISMISSAL

ShellNews.net: Shell whistleblower, Dr John Huong, a Shell geologist of almost 30 years standing faces Shell in court today in his action for wrongful dismissal against his former employer: 15 June 2005: Read the article

THE BORNEO POST: Former employee suing Shell: "Dr John Huong, an ex-Shell employee, is suing Shell in the Industrial Court here, alleging that he had been unfairly dismissed by the company." Posted 22 June 2005: Read the article

The Borneo Post: Shell vs Dr John Huong trial adjourned to Nov 15: "Dr Huong, an ex-Shell employee, is suing the company, alleging that he was unfairly dismissed.": "Huong, a geologist by qualification, had worked with Shell for almost 30 years before his dismissal on March 28, 2003." Posted 23 June 2005: Read the article

FOUR DOCUMENTS WERE FILED WITH THE HIGH COURT OF MALAYA ON 22 MAY 2006 

ALFRED DONOVAN AFFIDAVIT (ENGLISH VERSION - with some personal details removed for security purposes)

THE SHELL INTERNATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY LTD COMPLAINT (THE MAIN SECTION OF EXHIBIT)

WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANISATION (WIPO) OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION TO ALFRED DONOVAN

32 PAGE EXHIBIT TO SHELL'S COMPLAINT TO THE WIPO

For those who may be interested, this link is to the Response by Alfred Donovan to the Complaint made to the WIPO

The subsequent domain names decision by the WIPO: http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2005/d2005-0538.html)

Legal proceedings in July 2006 focussed on Alfred Donovan.

The first is a Summons in Chambers

The second an Affidavit by a Shell legal manager

Shell decided several months ago not to pursue its application for Alfred Donovan (now 91 years old) to travel to Malaysia to be cross examined in Court.