The owners of DSTV and GoTv, Multichoice Nigeria, were fined N150 million by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal on Friday for violating its orders. The orders prevented the pay-TV company from raising its monthly subscription until the outcome of the lawsuit that was brought before the tribunal.
Additionally, the tribunal mandated that the pay-TV provider give a complimentary one-month subscription to its DStv and GOtv packages to its Nigerian clientele.
Remember that the tribunal had previously ruled that Multichoice could not raise its membership costs without giving due notice in response to a lawsuit brought by Festus Onifade, an attorney located in Abuja, who claimed that the 8-day notice provided for the price rise was insufficient.
Multichoice, on its part, argued that previous rulings had settled price regulation issues.
Onifade insisted the length of notice was inadequate and more pressing than the price hike itself, prompting the tribunal to affirm its jurisdiction and ruling against Multichoice.
The court fixed July 3 for a hearing of the substantive suit of the plaintiff.
Details later…
