Days after local officials and hotel operators distanced themselves from music festival Mood Fest, which had been advertised to take place in September, the organisers of the event have filed a defamation suit against Senior Tourism Adviser Delano Seiveright, the Government of Jamaica and Fiesta Jamaica Ltd, operators of the Grand Palladium Resort at Point, Hanover.

In a statement posted online by attorney representing Mood Fest Jennifer Housen, the festival organisers accused Seiveright of doubling down on damaging”lies”, despite being given an oppportunity to withdraw the claims which had been published locally and internationally.

“The organisers of MoodFest LLC have collectively been in the events promotion business for over 20 years,” the statement read.

“We have worked tirelessly to build our name and reputation in the entertainment business globally, fostering relationships of trust with artistes and clientelle across the globe.

“For a senior official of the Jamaican government to tarnish our name and libel us, is something we take very seriously.”

In addition, the Mood Fest organisers said they equally took seriously action taken by the Grand Palladium when it issued a statement the organisers argued was “in terms contrary to the agreement between Moodfest LLC and the Grand Palladium… .”

The Mood Fest organisers said they could not allow the matter to continue without strong action to indicate they were serious about preserving their name and goodwill.

Mood Fest’s concerns came after Seiveright’s comments in response to questions raised by a Twitter user, who queried the legitimacy of several upcoming events.

Those questions around the legitimacy of events had become a concern after the debacle of Mocha Fest, which drew the ire of Jamaicans after footage went viral showing patrons partying wildly in apparent disregard of COVID-19 protocols.

Mocha Fest, which was held at Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Westmoreland, was reportedly off limits to locals and required full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for participation.