Court dismisses Fidelity Bank suit against NLA

The Commercial Division of the Fast Track High Court has dismissed a suit brought against the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) by Fidelity Bank Limited and Global Media Alliance over the Reach for Gold promotion.

The NLA in 2011 stopped the two bodies from running the promotion arguing it constitutes a raffle.

But both Fidelity Bank and Global Media Alliance, an advertising firm, filed a suit at the commercial court challenging the authority’s order. They claimed the promotion does not constitute lottery as the NLA have tried to justify under Act 722.

In the Reach for Gold promo, participants were required to open a new account with the bank and deposit multiples of GH¢300. For every GH¢300 deposit, the participant get a coupon, and existing customers are expected to deposit multiples of the same amount for coupons.

The NLA however stepped in to stop them.

Presiding Judge Richard Adjei-Frimpong in his ruling said provisions in the lottery Acts stipulate that the authority has the exclusive right to run any form of lottery in the country.

The court however refused the position taken by counsel for the NLA to award cost including the legal fees against both Fidelity Bank and Global Media Alliance.