By: Hafsatu Z Bangura
High Court Judge, Justice Adrian Fisher has on the 20th January 2023 suspended the 21 days prison committal of the Director of Native Consortium, Edmond Abu Jr. for 12 months at the High Court no.1 in Freetown.
The condition attached to his release is that he should not repeat the conduct for which he was committed to prison, which was “contempt of court’’.
Justice Adrian Fisher in his address to the court said Edmund Abu made a series of comments and allegations which were calculated to bring the judiciary into disrepute, cast aspersion on the integrity of the Honorable Chief Justice and the entire judiciary including him being the judge of the matter.
Justice Adrian Fisher furthered that on the 10th January 2023 when the arrest warrant that he issued for Edmund Abu was made, the Contemnor Mr Edmond Abu proceeded to make further comments which were captured on video and published on social media. He went on to say the contemnor was brought to court after the judgement was pronounced on the matter at which he was to be a part of in court.
He said plea mitigations were made for the contemnor by counsels and offered the contemnor himself an opportunity to speak for himself to which he said Mr Edmond Abu’s demeanor showed clearly that he had remorse for his actions and showed a determined posture to continue to act in a discourteous manner in the face of the court as well as outside of the court.
According to Justice Fisher his conduct was condescending and was not ready to listen to the advice of his lawyers he said when the asked the contemnor whether or not to purge his contempt.
He replied that he was unaware of what he did wrong as far as he is concerned and said furthered that if the judge felt as if he had done something wrong then he is sorry.
Justice Fisher said he found the attitude of Mr Edmond Abu disrespectful to the court and in light of that contempt, a 21-day committal to prison ought to be imposed on him.
After much address and plea mitigation by J.M Jengo for the contemnor and the contemnor’s public apology High Court Judge, Justice Adrian Fisher made the following orders that the order of committal for Mr Edmond Abu Jnr to prison for 21 days is suspended for twelve months from the date of the order, on condition that Mr Edmond Abu Jnr does not repeat his conduct, should there be any conduct amounting to contempt, further contempt proceedings would be instituted against Mr Edmond Abu for this contempt in addition to the new occurrences of contempt.
That the Under-sheriff of the High Court serves a copy of the order on the contemnor Mr Edmond Abu forthwith and before his release by the provisions of Order 51 rule 6 sub-rule 2 of the high court rules 2007 and no orders to costs will be awarded to the contemnor Mr Edmond Abu.