In a significant legal development, Justice A. L. Akintola of the High Court of Oyo state has issued an order for the trial of Miriam Olusanya, the Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), along with other key figures from the bank.
This order stems from allegations that Olusanya was involved in blocking a customer’s account at the bank’s Apata, Ibadan branch, using an order supposedly obtained from a magistrates’ court in Kano state.
The trial is set to proceed on charges of contempt of court, following an ex-parte motion presented by Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), the lawyer representing the aggrieved customer, Omolara Abosede Ogunkoya. This order, dated September 18, has been brought to light in Abuja on Tuesday, September 19.
Justice Akintola’s directive includes serving court documents related to the contempt proceedings to both the bank’s MD and the Manager of its Apata branch, Ms. Funmi Olutayo.
One notable aspect of the order is the allowance for serving notice of consequences of disobedience to court orders and other subsequent processes on Miriam Olusanya through a unique method – by pasting these documents on the wall of GTBank‘s Apata branch/business office in Ibadan, Oyo state.
This legal dispute arises from the bank’s alleged refusal to comply with court orders issued in a judgment on September 7. The judgment directed GTBank to immediately lift the restrictions placed on Mrs. Ogunkoya’s account, which had been a subject of contention. Mrs. Ogunkoya had sued the bank after it imposed a lien on her account without providing any justifiable reason, despite her continuous operation of the account without issues.
Justice Akintola’s verdict on September 7 questioned the validity of the order from the Kano Chief Magistrate Court, which the bank had relied upon for its actions.
The judge emphasized that the order was doubtful, as it lacked certification as a true copy of the original. As a result, the court deemed the basis for GTBank’s actions as questionable and ineligible for recognition or enforcement.
This legal saga highlights the challenges faced by GTBank and its Managing Director, Miriam Olusanya, as they confront allegations of contempt of court and non-compliance with judicial orders, which have garnered significant attention and legal scrutiny.
