Tribunal fines Multichoice N150m for flouting court order restraining DSTV, GOTV price hike

The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, on Friday, fined Multichoice Nigeria to the tune of N150m for flouting a court order that restrains DSTV and GOTV price hike and ordered the company to provide Nigerians with a one-month free subscription to the channels.

Earlier, the tribunal had blocked Multichoice from hiking subscription fees without proper notice.

The suit came on the heels of a lawsuit filed by Barrister Festus Onifade who had claimed that the eight-day notice given for the price increase was not enough.

Multichoice’s counsel, however, argued that previous court rulings had settled price regulation issues.

But when Onifade stood his grounds on inadequate notice rather than the price hike itself, the tribunal affirmed its jurisdiction and ruled against Multichoice.

The court has fixed July 3 for hearing on the case.