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Post by The Ultimate Nullifier on May 22, 2016 18:55:43 GMT -6
variety.com/2016/film/news/sumner-redstone-paramount-sales-philippe-dauman-1201780803/ Sumner Redstone Opposes Paramount Sale, Claims Independence Sumner Redstone’s lawyers are refuting Viacom claims in a new statement released on Sunday, slamming Philippe Dauman’s plans to sell a stake in Paramount and asserting that he worked independently in removing Dauman from his trust on Friday. “Viacom’s claim that members of the board have been ‘denied access’ to Sumner Redstone is untrue,” reads the statement. “In a letter sent on May 16 by his counsel to Viacom’s CEO Phillippe Dauman and board members George Abrams and Frederic Salerno, Mr. Redstone asked to be briefed concerning management’s plans for improving Viacom’s business outlook and share price. This was an opportunity for direct engagement, but the board leadership did not respond. Instead, Viacom criticized Mr. Redstone for not speaking while participating by phone in a board meeting that followed. As Viacom knows well, Mr. Redstone has significant speech impairment and, for much of the past two years, has not relied on verbal statements at board meeting to make his opinion known.” The statement also refutes claims that Shari Redstone has him “on lockdown,” and insists that Redstone fired Dauman, saying, “He removed Mr. Dauman and George Abrams as trustees of the Sumner M. Redstone National Amusements Trust and as directors of National Amusements, Inc. based on what Mr. Redstone believes are the best interests of beneficiaries and shareholders.” Redstone “continues to believe that it is in the best interest of Viacom that Paramount Pictures should remain wholly owned by the parent company.” More to come…
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