Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has withdrawn its criminal case against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its top executives after both parties reportedly reached an amicable settlement.
Recall that the FCCPC and MultiChoice have been at odds for months since the pay-TV operator hiked the pricing of its DStv and GOtv services in March.
The FCCPC then summoned the company to explain the rationale for the increases and submit supporting papers, after which it said MultiChoice failed to comply.
Viewing this as a violation of the FCCPC Act's regulatory directives, the Commission filed a seven-count criminal lawsuit accusing MultiChoice and several of its top officials of hindering investigations and failing to comply with summons.
Nonetheless, the parties informed Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that they had reached an amicable agreement, bringing the legal dispute to a conclusion.
Daniel Amadi, lawyer to the FCCPC, informed the court that a notice of withdrawal had been filed on August 16, following the resolution of all outstanding issues.
With no objections from the defence, Justice Omotosho dismissed the case, effectively ending the proceedings.
The commission underlined that compliance and transparency are still critical for sustaining trust between firms and regulators in Nigeria's consumer market.
