The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal’s (CCPT) decision, which imposed Multichoice Nigeria with a N150 million fine and a “free monthly subscription order,” has been appealed.

In an appeal that it filed with the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the Pay TV provider presents further arguments for why the appellate court ought to overturn the CCPT verdict.

This is stated in MultiChoice’s notice of appeal, in which the company requests that the Court of Appeal rule that the Tribunal “erred in law.”

Multichoice claimed in a Leadership report, that the Tribunal fined it without allowing its legal counsel to defend the price increase.

The pay TV maintains that since the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Council has not yet decided on the complaint, the Tribunal should not have handled it.

It emphasised that the Tribunal had already decided on its price hike, prohibiting its panel from overseeing the same issues in purported violation of the law.

Multichoice emphasised that the attorney did not request a fine of N150 million or a complimentary one-month subscription in opposition to it. Additionally, it was believed that the Tribunal took these actions without consulting all of its subscribers….[CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING▶▶]

The firm also emphasized that, by taking advantage of a lawyer’s personal problems with his subscription package, the Tribunal wrongly fined it a significant amount.

Multichoice reaffirmed to the Court of Appeal that when a party files an application contesting the court’s authority to oversee an issue, it cannot be considered that the party has disregarded an order of the court.

Multichoice appealed,

“An order setting aside the ruling and Orders of the Hon. Tribunal delivered on the 7th June 2024.”

The CCPT has said it  would review the reasons identified by Multichoice, noting that the agency could involve regulatory bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

This comes after Legit.ng reported that MultiChoice, owners of DStv and GOtv, may have reverted to the old subscription prices following a court order mandating that the pay television company halt its move to hike prices.