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The Competitors and Shopper Safety Tribunal (CCPT) on Friday slammed N150 million high-quality towards Multichoice Nig. Ltd. for disobeying its order on subscription charges hike for DStv and Gotv packages.
The tribunal, sitting in Abuja, additionally ordered the pay tv operator to present one-month free subscription to all its Nigerian subscribers on the DStv and Gotv platforms, for flouting its order.
The three-member tribunal chaired by Thomas Okosun, in a ruling, discovered Multichoice culpable of contempt by flouting its earlier order restraining the pay tv operator from implementing hike in its subscription charges for DStv and GOtv.
The Information Company of Nigeria (NAN) reviews that the CCPT had, on 29 April, restrained MultiChoice from rising its tariffs and price of services scheduled to start on 1 Might.
The tribunal gave the interim order following an ex-parte movement moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for the applicant, Festus Onifade.
Mr Onifade, a lawyer and subscriber, had approached the tribunal contending that the eight-day discover given by Multichoice for a value hike was inadequate.
Respondents within the case have been MultiChoice and the Federal Competitors and Shopper Safety Fee (FCCPC).
He urged the tribunal to restrain Multichoice from implementing the tariff hike from 1 Might as deliberate, pending the listening to dedication of the petition.
The tribunal granted the ex-parte movement of the applicant and stopped Multichoice from going forward with the value improve within the interim.
Nonetheless, in defiance of the tribunal’s order, MultiChoice hiked its subscription charges for DStv and Gotv packages on the scheduled date 1 Might.
Following the value hike, Mr Onifade, on 7 Might commenced contempt proceedings towards Mohammed Sani, Supervisor of Abuja workplace of MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd, over alleged disobedience to the order made by the CCPT.
The Discover of Consequence of Disobedience to Order of Courtroom (Type 48) marked: CCPT/OP/02/2024 filed on 7 Might by Mr Onifade warned Mr Sani towards disregarding the tribunal order.
MultiChoice, by means of its lawyer, Moyosore Onigbanjo, a Senior Advocate Nigeria, filed a preliminary objection praying the tribunal to say no jurisdiction within the go well with.
Mr Onigbanjo argued that such a value dispute case had been determined earlier than in favour of his shopper.
Mr Onifade, in his response, urged the tribunal to discountenance the corporate’s objection and direct it to pay the sum of N10 billion or any quantity the panel may deem match within the circumstance for intentionally disobeying and failure to adjust to the interim order.
The lawyer argued that the difficulty he introduced didn’t border on value regulation or improve.
He defined that what he positioned earlier than the court docket was whether or not the corporate gave ample discover in respect of the 1 Might subscription value improve.
“It’s our submission that the eight-day discover issued by Multichoice Nigeria Ltd is inadequate in regulation.
“A month-to-month subscriber ought to be given at the very least a month,” he stated, praying the tribunal to dismiss the preliminary objection for being a waste of time of the court docket.
Delivering the ruling, the Thomas Okosun-led tribunal agreed with Mr Onifade’s submission, prompting the panel to affirm its jurisdiction and rule towards the corporate.
The tribunal subsequently fastened July 3 for listening to of the substantive go well with of the claimant.
(NAN)
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