Fairfax Media has failed to overturn a finding it defamed Chinese-Australian billionaire Chau Chak Wing in a "sneering and deprecating" article insinuating he bribed a former UN president.
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But the $280,000 payout was reduced to $247,672 after both sides agreed an error was made in the interest calculation relating to the Federal Court award.
The businessman, philanthropist and political donor sued Fairfax and journalist John Garnaut over an online story published in October 2015 under the headline: "Are Chau Chak Wing's circles of influence in Australia-China ties built on hot air?"
Justice Michael Wigney in February 2019 found it contained three defamatory meanings - that Dr Chau bribed former UN president John Ashe, was part of a plot to bribe him and acted in so seriously wrong a manner as to deserve extradition to the United States on criminal charges.
Dr Chau later said he would donate the damages to a number of charities supporting Australian veterans and their families.
Three Federal Court judges on Thursday dismissed the verdict appeal by Fairfax, now owned by Nine, but reduced the award to allow for the interest miscalculation.
Fairfax was ordered to pay Dr Chau's legal costs.
The rejected appeal grounds included a contention that Justice Wigney erred in holding that Fairfax had failed to establish that its conduct in publishing the article was reasonable in the circumstances.
Australian Associated Press
