Tigo, Airtel contests halted

MOBILE

By Nana Appiah Acquaye, Accra, Ghana

Two telecommunications companies in Ghana have tasted the full wrath of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) after several attempts by both parties to settle cases against them the case amicably out of court.

An Accra Fast Track High Court stopped Millicom Ghana Limited, operators of Tigo mobile network, from running its Tigo House Bonanza promotion. The order was given by the court presided over by Mr. Justice Dennis D. Agyei, a Court of Appeal Judge, who sat as an additional High Court Judge .

“ It is hereby ordered that the defendant (Millicom Ghana Limited), its agents, servants, assigns, privies are restrained from promoting, sponsoring and advertising the ongoing purported promotional campaign known as the Tigo House Promotion, the court ruled.

In December last year, Millicom Ghana Limited launched the “ Tigo Xmas Bonanza” but it was taken to court by the National Lottery Commission (NLA) for running an illegal lottery.

Millicom Ghana Limited opted to settle the matter out of court. Based on the settlement, Millicom Ghana Limited was warned, among other things, not to engage in any similar marketing or promotional campaigns without consulting the NLA.

Millicom Ghana Limited later breached the terms of settlement and went ahead to run its “ Tigo House Bonanza” without the NLA's consent, prompting the latest court action against them.

The National Lottery Authority has also won its case in the High Court’ s Fast Track High Court Division against mobile operator Airtel Ghana Limited. The court restrained Airtel Ghana from running the “ Freedom to Dream” promotion.

The National Lottery Authority (NLA) this year commenced legal action against telecommunication operators for engaging in what it describes as “ illegal lotteries, disguised as marketing promotions” .