Contempt: Court convicts Natasha, orders her to tender apology, pay N5m fine

File: Natasha in court

By AKPAN ETIDO

• Directs her recall but affirms Senate’s power to discipline members

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday affirmed the power of the Senate to discipline any member for unethical conduct.

It fined Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan N5 million for contempt, while also ordering her to apologise within seven days in two national dailies and on her Facebook page.

Justice Binta Nyako, in her judgment, held that under the Senate Rules, the Senate President is empowered to allocate seats for members and such a member is only allowed to speak from the seat allocated to him or her.

Justice Nyako found that since Natasha was not speaking from the sit allocated to her during the Senate’s sitting of February 20, she was not entitled to be heard.

The judge held that although the Senate could suspend its members, it should reconsider the period of such suspension.

She urged the Senate to consider recalling her to afford her the opportunity to represent her constituency and for her to also apologise to the Senate.

The judge found Natasha to have violated an order of the court made on April 4 restraining parties from commenting on the subject of the pending suit.

She held that by posting a satirical letter on her Facebook page on April 27 while the April 4 order subsisted, Natasha was in contempt of court.