Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja, has ordered the Federal Government to arraign a legal practitioner and former Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Ben Chuks Nwosu and three staff of the Channels Television, namely Chamberlain Usoh, Gimba Umar and Nneota Egbe.
The three Channels TV staff had anchored the media outfit’s “Sunrise Daily Programme” were it was alleged that contemptuous and prejudicial questions and comments were made by Nwosu, one of Metuh’s lawyers.
Justice Abang made the order while delivering a ruling after the unedited video of the TV programme was aired in open court.
After watching the video of the programme, Justice Abang admitted that “it is clear that the questions asked by the three men that anchtied the programme and comments of Ben Chuks Nwosu as well as the voice of Barrister Johnson Ojogbane, SSA to the EFCC, were made outside the court.
“Therefore, I have no jurisdiction to determine whether the questions and comments by the anchormen and the lawyers were prejudicial and contemptuous.
“I heard the comments made by Ben Chuks Nwosu concerning this trial, if he had been courageous enough to appear before this court today, I would have known what to do,” Abang stated.
“If they had made the comments before this court, I would have known whether the statements were contemptuous,” the court said.
Besides, Justice Abang said it would be risky to speculate whether the voice was that of Ojogbane.
However, Justice Abang had to invoke section 6(6b) of the constitution to have the matter referred to the appropriate quarters or organ in a bid to find out whether or not the comments were contemptuous or prejudicial.
Consequently, the court ordered that Oluyemisi Ipaye, Senior Manager News and Programmes, Channels TV shall within 7 days from today (July 3) file 10 copies of transcript of the questions asked by the anchormen; and 10 copies of the DVD showing questions asked by the anchormen and comments made by Ben Chuks Nwosu and Johnson Ojogbane.
Meanwhile, Justice Abang also reopened the case of Metuh to enable him call two more witnesses and also to allow him testify personally in his on going trial.
In vacating the order of court made on May 25, closing the 1st defendant’s case, Abang said, the order was made in default because Metuh’s counsel was not heard.
“It is in the light of this that this court has the jurisdiction to set aside it’s order made on May 25, 2018, closing the case of the 1st defendant.
Details soon……
