By Abubakarr Bah
Publicity chief of
the embattled National Democratic Alliance, NDA has described as
“threatening remarks”, insinuations and warnings by High Court
judge, Justice Abdulai Cham who is sitting on a petition case against
the party’s leadership.
Chernoh Alpha
Bah’s reaction came following Monday’s hearing in court of the
matter between the party, its secretary general, chairman and flag
bearer on the one hand and an expelled party member, Mohamed Pateh
Bah, on the other hand.
He explained that
the presiding judge, Justice Cham called on him and warned him “to
desist from making remarks about the ongoing proceedings and that if
he makes any further comments he will charge him for contempt of
court and send him to Pademba Road prisons until after elections.”
“I have that
power to do so,” the judge said in court, attracting some mumbling
from some party supporters and sympathisers who had gone to witness
the court case.
The judge then
ordered the NDA spokesman to get back to his sit but when he was
about to take his sit, his deputy, Sahr Famanda, shook his hand. The
hand shake did not go down well with Justice Charm, who immediately
ordered the prison officers to take Famanda to the detention room
until after the day’s proceedings.
Lead prosecutor,
Leon Jenkins-Johnston, requested that the injunction be put on hold
until the matter was legally addressed. He presented exhibits from
the complainant, arguing that the NDA executive had been operating
since 2007 without respecting the party’s constitution which
required them to hold a national convention every two years.
He said that the
decision to expel his client, Pateh Bah, was “unconstitutional”
making reference to a letter written by the Political Parties
Registration Commission (PPRC) which stated that “the expulsion of
Mohamed Pateh Bah was against the NDA constitution and urged the
national executive to go to the drawing board and resolve the impasse
amicably”.
This, he noted,
was rejected by the party’s executive. He alleged that the
unconstitutional expulsion of Pateh Bah had also prevented him from
contesting for the party’s leadership and subsequently becoming the
President of the country.
Defense counsel,
Dr. Bu-Buake Jabbie, requested for an adjournment in order for him to
study the exhibits and argument of the prosecution. The matter has
been adjourned to 22 October, 2012.
