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By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), on Friday, fined Multichoice Nigeria, owners of DSTV and GoTv, the sum of N150 million for disobeying its orders, which restrained the pay-TV company from increasing its monthly subscriptions pending the determination of the suit brought before it.
The tribunal also ordered the pay-TV company to provide its Nigerian customers with a one-month free subscription to its DStv and GOtv packages.
Recall that the tribunal had last month ordered Multichoice not to increase its subscription fees without proper notice, following a lawsuit filed by an Abuja-based lawyer, Festus Onifade, who said the eight-day notice given for the price increase was inadequate.
Multichoice had argued that previous rulings had settled the price regulation issues.
Onifade insisted that the length of notice was inadequate and more pressing than the price hike itself, prompting the tribunal to affirm its jurisdiction.
The tribunal fixed July 3 for hearing of the substantive suit of the plaintiff.