News Source Guyana Reports | Bibi Neshaw Ali, the mother of President Irfaan Ali, has initiated a multi-million-dollar lawsuit in Canada against international social media giant META and Guyanese social media commentator Melissa Atwell, known as “Melly Mel.” The lawsuit stems from statements allegedly made by Atwell on the platform that reference corruption allegations involving Mrs. Ali.
According to the lawsuit, which was viewed by News Source, Mrs. Ali claims that the defendants have committed libel against her multiple times, leading to significant harm not only to her but also to her children and extended family. The statements circulated on Facebook reportedly originated from a television interview conducted by a businessman, which later sparked further commentary on social media.
Through her attorney, Selwyn Pieters, Mrs. Ali detailed that numerous publications by Atwell in August 2025 accused her of engaging in corrupt practices, including accepting kickbacks from government contracts. She emphasized that she was referred to derogatorily as “Gangsta Granny” in many of these statements.
Notably, Mrs. Ali, who also holds Canadian citizenship, chose to file the lawsuit in Canada, asserting that the damage she suffered resulted directly from the defendants’ business activities within the Province of Ontario. “The damage caused to the Plaintiff is a direct result of the Defendants’ business activities… which allowed the libelous publications to be accessible to any person in Ontario,” her court papers stated.
In her suit, Mrs. Ali argued that the published words, both in video and written formats, were false and defamatory. They implied her involvement in corruption for the benefit of her son, the President, including allegations of coercing contractors for bribery.
Mrs. Ali insisted that the defendants should have been aware that these statements could attract widespread attention and should have exercised due diligence before sharing potentially defamatory content. The lawsuit highlights that the serious nature of the allegations — including claims of coercion and kickbacks — meant the defendants had a responsibility to verify the comments made by the businessman before publishing them.
She noted that the businessman had no direct knowledge of her actions and was relying solely on hearsay. As a result of these incidents, Mrs. Ali claims she has faced physical, emotional, and psychological harm, including anxiety, stress, and mental anguish.
The case underscores the challenges surrounding online defamation and the responsibilities of social media platforms and users in verifying the accuracy of published claims.
