For going ahead with his book presenta­tion against a sub­sisting court order, former President Olusegun Obasanjo risks jail term as the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has summoned him to explain why he should not be punished.

The trial judge, Justice Val­entine Ashi, categorically said Obasanjo was in contempt of court for flouting its order re­straining him from among oth­ers, publishing his autobiogra­phy, “My Watch.”

In his ruling yesterday, the judge gave Obasanjo 21 days from the day of service of the court’s order on him to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt for go­ing ahead to publish the book in spite of the interim order made by the court on Decem­ber 5 and a pending libel suit against the former president.

The court had restrained Obasanjo from further publish­ing, printing or offering My Watch for sale and fixed De­cember 10 as return date.

Despite the court’s interim order, Obasanjo reportedly made public presentation of the book on Tuesday in Lagos, arguing that the book had been published before the court was misled into making the orders.

At yesterday’s proceed­ings, the judge took arguments from lawyer to the plaintiff/ applicant, Alex Iziyon (SAN) and defendant/respondent’s lawyer, Realwon Okpanach on the plaintiff’s motion for inter­locutory injunction, the defen­dant’s counter-affidavit and motion to vacate the interim orders earlier granted.

Ruling, Justice Ashi held that it was wrong for Obasanjo to have proceeded to publish the book despite the fact that a libel suit, which subject mat­ter formed part of the contents of the book, was pending be­fore the court and the order he made on December 5 was still subsisting.

He further held that it was immaterial that the book was published before the interim order was made. He said Obasanjo ought not to have published the book because he was aware of the part-heard libel suit over a letter he wrote to President Goodluck Jona­than, accusing a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Buruji Kashamu of being a fugitive wanted in the United States.

“The fact that the book was published in November is irrel­evant. As long as the substan­tive suit is not yet determined, no party is entitled to publish or comment on material facts that are yet to be decided on by the court.

“I hold the defendant not only in contempt of the court, but to show cause why he should not be punished for contempt and ordered to undo what he has wrongly done,” Justice Ashi held.



http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=94915

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Can someone still jail Baba Iyabo in this country again?