GSM giant Africell has instituted a suit against MGI Telecom, claiming the sum of one million United States Dollars (US1.000,000.00) being damages for interference with contractual agreement made on the 16th September 2011.
Africell is also seeking a court injunction restraining MGI Telecoms Limited by themselves, their agents from interfereing with their property and business.
During yesterday’s hearing, the Africell CEO
Hussein Diab Ghanem, under cross examination as to why the suit was not done since Jammeh’s time, told the High Court that Africell was scared to sue the previous regime of Yahya Jammeh as suing his government would be suicidal.
He disclosed that he became CEO of Africell in 2020 and that during Yahya Jammeh’s regime, Africell was kept in the dark by MGI Telecoms as to the management agreement that the government of the Gambia had with them.
He further said Africell was forced to comply with the terms and conditions of MGI Telecoms, adding that the previous regime through its operations at the time used the NIA to force them to comply with the terms and conditions.
He explained that MGI physically took over both the voice and data traffic and even blocked WhatsApp, Viber and some services.
Mr Hussein said at the time even the regulator, PURA’s power was weak considering the power MGI wielded and it is an open secret that the democracy we enjoy now did not exist during Yahya Jammeh’s regime and the judiciary was somewhat interfered with by the executive.
