GRETNA – Two Jefferson Parish women allege a Gretna man made slanderous and defamatory statements about them.
Manal Hamdan and Janna Atalleh filed a suit against Omar Hamdan in the 24th Judicial District Court on May 27.
According to the claim, the plaintiffs were at an Islamic religious gathering on May 1 at the Crystal Palace Reception Hall in Harvey when the incident occurred. The suit states that the defendant began to loudly accused the plaintiffs of stealing $5.2 million from him. The suit further states that the defendant published further allegations on Snapchat on May 1 and on May 24 published allegations in both English and Arabic on Facebook.
According to the suit, the defendant filed a complaint with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office accusing the plaintiffs of stealing the money on May 2. They allege they were arrested and are now facing charges of felony theft.
Additionally, the suit states that in Islamic culture, women who are accused of criminal acts are shunned. The suit states the defendant is the brother of Manal Hamdan and the uncle of Atalleh.
The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount in damages. They are represented by Martin E. Regan Jr. of Regan Law in New Orleans. The case has been assigned to Division N Judge Stephen D. Enright Jr.
The 24th Judicial District Court Case number 761355