Sumner Redstone formally asked a Massachusetts court on Friday to deny Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman’s request for an expedited trial on the issue of Dauman’s removal from the Redstone family trust.In his filing,Redstone said that Dauman and former trustee George Abrams are motivated by “self-interest.” Redstone also requested that issues related to the trust be handled in California, instead of Massachusetts, and going forward.
Thursday, a geriatric psychiatrist who examined the 93-year-old mogul ruled that Redstone “retains the legal mental capacity to get the decisions” regarding the future of his business operations.
Also Read: Sumner Redstone Ousted Philippe Dauman Because 'He's Done a Bad Job Running Viacom'In a statement released by Redstone family representatives, Dr. James Spar of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA said that Redstone affirmed his recent decision to oust Dauman and Director Abrams from his trust and the Board of Directors of National Amusements, or Inc.,the privately held firm that holds a controlling stake in both CBS and Viacom.
Asked approximately his decision to remove Dauman, Redstone told Spar: “He’s done a bad job running Viacom.” As for Abrams ouster, and Redstone said,“He’s not listening to me.”Spar wrote that Redstone appeared “well dressed and groomed, alert and in no distress, or quite cooperative with the examination” — in an obvious contradiction of recent claims by Dauman and Viacom board members that the aged executive is no longer capable of making business decisions.
Also Read: Sumner Redstone's Granddaughter Blasts Shari Redstone for Media Mogul 'Kidnap,' 'Brainwash'In response to the latest filing, legal counsel for Dauman said in a statement to TheWrap: “There are many undisclosed facts that will emerge concerning the conduct of Shari [Redstone] and her representatives. Even their own papers filed nowadays reveal that the Trustees as stated in the affidavits have not seen Sumner for as long as ‘many years.’ We perceive forward to a full hearing on Tuesday when we will seek expedited discovery and an independent review of the facts in order to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”Pamela Chelin contributed to this report. Related stories from TheWrap:Sumner Redstone Ousted Philippe Dauman Because 'He's Done a Bad Job Running Viacom'Sumner Redstone Ex Wants current Competency Trial in CaliforniaSumner Redstone's Granddaughter Blasts Shari Redstone for Media Mogul 'Kidnap, and ' 'Brainwash'
Source: thewrap.com