Digital Satellite Television services provider in Liberia has filed a lawsuit against the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) in demand of over half a million United States dollars for damages.
The company, owned and run by businessman-turned-politician Mr. Simeon Freeman, accused Monrovia City Cooperation personnel of manhandling, injuring DSTV staff, and locking the company’s Head Office on August 23, 2022.
According to the Consolidated Group, the owner of DSTV, Mr. Simeon Freeman has filed an action for damages for wrongdoings against the MCC at the Civil Law Court in Monrovia.
The Group in its lawsuit is demanding the city government to pay an amount of ten thousand United States Dollars US$10,000 as special damage and five hundred thousand United States Dollars US$500,000 as general damages, respectively.
DSTV told the court that on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, personnel of the Monrovia City Corporation stormed the company’s Head Office and demanded customers who have gone to do transactions to get out of the institution premises and also arrested three DSTV Staff who were on duty, according to him, they were manhandled and injured by officers of the Monrovia City Cooperation.
The Digital Satellite Television services provider staff who were manhandled and injured by officers of the MCC include Emmanuel Kawer, Mustapha Kamar, and Emmanuel Wleh, he stated.
The alleged action by the MCC prevented DSTV from carrying out its normal business across the country as the result, DSTV sustained a loss of little over USD$10,000 and noted that the entity stands ready to prove the fact according to the complaint filed by the consolidated Group.
DSTV mentioned that the Monrovia City Corporation took the decision without serving any notice to the Group. Mr. Freeman said officers of the Monrovia City Corporation illegally went to his DStv office on grounds that his entity is indebted to the City government in the tone of USD$2,000 for City taxes.
“We are a corporate entity, whenever you have anything against us you either communicate with the Board of Directors or the Secretary, but that was not done in this case,” the DSTV boss noted.
According to officials of the Consolidated Group evidence of medical reports of the injured employees will be provided during the trial the complaint stated.
The DSTV boss narrated that since the establishment of the satellite Group in Liberia, this was the first time for him to encounter such difficulties from the City government, he described the action by the MCC as unfortunate and termed it as a political witch hunt.
The Liberian Businessman said his Institution recently made a payment of USD$6,000 for a billboard to the same MCC, and wonders why they could not tell him about his outstanding.
He maintained that his Institution is contributing to the National Budget and also has people in his employ; as such, they need to treat him as a partner in the development of Liberia, and noted that these are issues that have the propensity of scarring investors away from the country. The Lawsuit was filed on Friday, September 2, 2022, at the Civil Law Court in Monrovia.
Reported by: Joseph N. Kerkula
Email: jnkerkula@gmail.com
Contact: +231777376826
