Fayemi Threatens Ekiti Judicial Panel with Contempt of Court

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The lawyer to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has written to the Chairman of the Ekiti State Judicial Commission of Inquiry, Justice Silas Bamidele Oyewole (rtd), warning him against committing contempt with stringent punitive measures should he continue with the panel’s proceedings.

The minister cited the pendency of a suit he instituted challenging the legality and constitutionality of the commission, saying this accounted for why he decided not to personally appear before the panel trying him for alleged looting.

Fayemi’s lawyer, Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), in the letter dated August 24th, 2017, titled “Contempt of Court: Sitting of Judicial Commission of Inquiry”, and made available to newsmen said the decision of the panel to go ahead with the sitting and summoning Fayemi to appear before it, in spite of the pendency of the suit no: HAD/57/2017 at the Ado-Ekiti High Court, amounted to contempt of court, which is redressible by an order of committal to prison.

The letter reads: “In the light of the pending case including our client’s motion for interlocutory injunction, Your Lordship is under clear duty to stay action on the activities of your commission until the pending case is determined.

“To do otherwise is to commit contempt of court which is redressible by an order of committal to prison.”

Details later…