IPNews-Monrovia-Liberia-29 January 2019: The Civil Law Court of the sixth Judicial Circuit , Montserrado County, in its December sitting, has summoned the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia, on February 7, 2019, to ask to a petition filed by its suspended Vice President, Octavin T. Williams, for ‘Declaratory Judgment’.
A copy of the writ which is in the possession of the Independent Probe Newspaper, states that “And now here comes petitioner in the above entitled ‘Declaratory Judgment’, cause of action and most respectfully prays your honorable to review the action and decision of the Respondent (PUL leadership), further declare the action/conduct of the Respondent illegal, void , usurping and contrary to the laws of this Republic, the By laws and constitution of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and reserve the same to status quo ante , based on eleventh counts.
Count 1. The petitioner, Octavin Williams prayed the court that he is the vice President of the PUL and was duly elected through a regular elections by the PUL, and by this ascendency, enjoys and is protected by the constitution of the PUL.
Hence, the PUL vice President contended in the suit, that his suspension was based on the fact that occurrences of the suspension of a member, whose also the Minister of Information, was a violation of the fundamental rights of the suspended member without due process, which enflame his suspension.
In determination of the merits and demerits, Octavin Williams prayed the presiding Judge of the six Judicial Circuit Court , Judge Yussif D. Kaba, ensure his rights were restored based on the aforementioned eleven counts which are guarantee by law, facts and circumstances, leading to his suspension which must be subjected to ‘judicial review’.
However, in quick response to the writ of summons by the civil law court, PUL President Charles Coffey laugh out the summons, expressing surprise that the suspended Vice President could be represented in court by Cllr. Arthur Johnson, of the ”Johnson & Associates’, when the lawyer himself has over time written several complaints against the suspended PUL vice President for wrong doing which he has refused to appear before the Press Union of Liberia, Media Council.
The PUL President, acknowledged receipt of the citation and said the Press Union would meet and make a full representation into the matter.
He told the Independent Probe Newspaper that currently there were several complaints against the suspended vice President Octavin T. Williams, of ethnical transgression and libel which the leadership of the PUL and the Media Council were still investigating .
It may be recall the Press Union of Liberia, in December 2018, suspended its Vice President for bringing the Union into public disrepute and defiance of the Union’s earlier decision to not honor an invitation from President George Weah, until degrading comments made by his Information Minister, Eugene Nagbe, was addressed.
The Information minister, Eugene Nagbe labeled the Press Union of Liberia, as a‘ worthless institution, which does not have any direction’.
Following the information comments against the PUL, the executives of the Press Union of Liberia convened an emergency meeting suspending the membership of the Information Minister, who is also a member of the PUL, until further clarification to his comments against the PUL.
Minister Eugene Nagbe, has since written an apology to the Press Union of Liberia for his comments. Detail comes in tomorrow edition