In an interview he gave to Oromo Community Radio on KFAI Radio without Borders 90.3 of MPLS – St. Paul, Nuro Dedefo confirms that the temporary restraining order against TA-OLF has been lifted, and that the Asmara Group of OLF is proceeding with the court case seeking permanent injunction against TA-OLF from using the OLF name, emblem and flag.According to Nuro Dedefo, who was introduced by the interviewer as chairman of the USA chapter of the OLF [Asmara group,] his group was forced to go to court because TA-OLF booked the same conference room which the Asmara Group had previously booked for their public meeting on July 27, 2007. He informed the radio audience that after appealing to the courts and obtaining a temporary injunction against TA-OLF, they [Asmara Group] failed to post the necessary bond as ordered by the court. As a result, the restraining order was vacated.Asked why they failed to post the required bond, Nuro says they refrained from doing so because TA-OLF re-scheduled their public meeting to a different date (from Friday to Thursday.) He goes on to say “Contrary to what they [TA-OLF] have been spreading, the temporary injunction was not lifted based on the merit or demerit of the case but because we failed to post the required bond.”Responding to Nuro Dedefo’s assertion on this matter, my TA-OLF contact had the following to say.“It is true that the meetings were scheduled on the same date and at the same conference center. However, it is not true that this was done intentionally on OLF’s part. Your readers should know that the OLF held its 2006 public meeting at the same conference center and on the same date (July 27, 2006.) The truth, in this case, is the OLF booked the conference center for July 27, 2007 before the Asmara Group. It, also, announced its meeting to the Oromo public well in advance of the Asmara group. The OLF became aware of the scheduling conflict with the Asmara group’s meeting on July 8, 2007 after it announced it to the public on MPLS’s Radio Voice of Oromia program. Soon after becoming aware of the scheduling conflict, the OLF decided to change its public meeting from July 27 to 26, 2007 and, as listeners of MPLS’s Radio Voice of Oromia program can attest, it announced this change to listeners of that radio program on July 15, 2007. The Asmara group filed their law suite on July 19, 2007, four days after becoming aware that the OLF had changed its meeting date to July 26, 2007. The matter was heard before a judge for the first time on July 23, 2007, 8 days after the Asmara group had become aware that the OLF had changed its meeting date to July 26, 2007. For Nuro Dedefo, who prides himself so much on being a lawyer, to get on a public airwave and make a false statement by saying “the OLF changed its meeting date after July 23, 2007; As a result we refrained from posting the required bond” shows how seriously he takes his lawyer’s oath which he swore to “…never seek to mislead … by an artifice or false statement of fact …” For those who do not know Nuro Dedefo, he "had a very noble job in Ethiopia," as president of the Arsi Regional High Court under TPLF. As for his legal opinion on the matter, the Internet is peppered with records of his losses as a lawyer and one is advised to not take him seriously. In 1998, he filed a complaint against Midwest Patrol and Commissioner of Economic Security in MN and lost. He appealed that decision to Court of Appeals and lost again (read HERE.) In 2004, he appealed a court decision against him granting an individual “an order for protection.” He lost that appeal too (read HERE.) In 2006, he filed a defamation suite against Aliyi Wake, et al. Upon lossing, he appealed the court decision and lost again. (read HERE.)The list goes on and on but you get the point. The point is I would not want Nuro Dedefo to represent me in any capacity let alone in a court of law. As for who is OLF proper and who is not, suffice to say that no partner of Qinijjit can claim to be OLF.”On whether the Asmara Group is seeking compensation from TA-OLF for using the OLF name for the last five years, Nuro made no mention of the $50,000 US they applied for in compensatory damages but said “what is past is in the past. What we are seeking is to stop them from operating under the OLF name in the future.” Interestingly, Nuro asserts that TA-OLF does not cause any damage to the Asmara Group but is a “nuisance.”Asked if it was necessary to go to a USA court to determine who is OLF and who is not, Dedefo said TA-OLF had to be stopped from confusing the people by claiming to be OLF proper and causing a “nuisance.”This blogger wishes the interviewer had asked Nuro Dedefo how much Oromo hard earned dollars are squandered on bringing this case to the courts. Hopefully, TA-OLF will also give an interview and let us know how much they have spent so far to defend the case.Listen to Nuro Dedefo’s interview HERE
Source>> http://www.oromoaffairs.blogspot.com
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