Reprieve for SportPesa as court suspends BCLB ruling
SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri.
What you need to know:
- Lady Justice Pauline Nyamweya suspended the implementation of the decision of the betting board to cancel the operating licence of Milestone Gaming Limited pending hearing and determination of the case by January 25 next year.
A decision by the Betting Control and Licensing Board to cancel the business operations of a new company permitted to participate in gaming has been temporarily stayed by the high court.
Lady Justice Pauline Nyamweya suspended the implementation of the decision of the betting board to cancel the operating licence of Milestone Gaming Limited pending hearing and determination of the case by January 25 next year.
The judge certified as urgent the case filed by lawyer Robert Macharia for Milestone saying the company has raised triable issues of law as it claims its constitutional right to carry out business has been threatened by the boards’ decision.
In her ruling, Lady Justice Nyamweya suspended the implementation of the decision of the board to halt the operations of Milestone then ordered all the parties to assemble in court January 25 for hearing of the case.
The judge directed all the parties named in the case to file responses and written submissions electronically due to the Covid-19 pandemic regulations issued by the Judiciary within 14 days.
The Betting Control Licencing Board had been named as the respondent while Safaricom Limited, Airtel Networks Kenya Limited, Communications Authority of Kenya and Pevans East Africa Limited as interested parties.
Both the respondent and the interested parties are now required to comply with the court order.
“The ex-parte applicant is granted leave (permission) to amend its notice of motion dated November 19,2020 to apply for an additional order of certiorari for quashing the decision of the betting board and interested parties,” ruled Justice Nyamweya.
“The stay orders granted on November 16 shall operate as a stay (suspension) of the implementation of the decision of the board and interested parties contained in the communication to Milestone,” the Lady Justice directed.
Agitating for the grant of the interim relief, Macharia told the judge Milestone will be edged out of business then render its employees jobless given the hard economic times caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
