Story: ZimEye
The coroner’s inquest into the
cause of the collapsed building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, SCOAN,
was stalled Wednesday after the church’s founder filed an application seeking
to stop him from appearing at the hearing. Over 115 people, mostly foreigners,
died in the September 12th incident.
Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe
adjourned till December 5 to enable him rule on the application.
T.B Joshua, founder of the SCOAN,
had filed an application before the coroner seeking for stay of further
proceedings of the inquest pending the determination of the suit before a high
court.
Mr. Joshua, through his lawyer,
Olalekan Ojo, had also filed a similar application before a Lagos High Court in
Ikeja praying for an order stopping the coroner from summoning him to give
evidence.
“The coroner who relied on his
personal knowledge of the facts of the case is not a proper person to preside
at the inquest,” said Mr. Ojo. At the inquest’s last proceedings, the coroner
had told Mr. Joshua to emulate the South African ambassador who testified despite
his immunity.
On Wednesday, Mr. Komolafe said
that the applications challenging the inquest are stalling the enquiry.
“It’s like you don’t want your
prophet to come to court,” he told Mr. Ojo.
“The order you are seeking in
that motion…. We have to take this application before we move on, it will be an
impediment.”
But Mr. Ojo said that he needed
time to effect service to other parties involved in the inquest.
“The position we are in now is,
technically, one that the motion cannot be said to be ripe for hearing, having
not been served to parties,” said Mr. Ojo.
“It is a motion that is pending
but not ripe for hearing.”
Mr. Komolafe said that the
inquest cannot continue until the application is heard.
“I have to adjourn to hear the
application and give a ruling.”
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