The Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed December 4, 2018 for hearing in the suit filed by MTN Nigeria Communications Limited to challenge the $8,134,312,397.63 being demanded from it by the Central Bank of Nigeria over alleged forex remittances infractions.
At the Tuesday proceedings in the case, MTN was represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who led 14 other lawyers, including Prof Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), Mr Damian Dodo (SAN), Mr Adeniyi Adegbonmire (SAN), and Mr Bode Olanipekun (SAN).
On the CBN legal team were Messrs Seyi Sowemimo (SAN) and Ademola Akerele (SAN).
The Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), who was joined as the 2nd defendant in the suit was absent and was not represented in court.
While adjourning the suit till December 4, 2018 for the hearing of all pending applications, Justice Saliu Saidu directed that hearing notice should be served on the Attorney General of the Federation.
In the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1475/2018, MTN is seeking a court declaration that it is ânot liable to refund $8,134,312,397.63 to the coffers of the 1st defendant (CBN) premised on the decisions reached in the 1st defendantâs letter of August 28, 2018.â
The telecommunications giant is urging the court to declare that âthe 1st defendantâs decision in its letter of August 28, 2018 with Ref No GBD/GOV/COM/DGF/118/121 addressed to the plaintiff and titled, âInvestigation into the remittance of foreign exchange on the basis of the illegal capital importation certificates issued to MTN Nigeria Communications Limitedâ were reached in breach of the plaintiffâs right to fair hearing.â
The firm wants Justice Saidu to hold that the CBN âlacks the power to determine the civil obligations or penal liabilities of the plaintiff.â
It is urging the court to the declare that the CBN acted ultra vires its statutory powers when it wrote the August 18 letter to it demanding a refund of $8.1bn.
The firm wants the court to hold that the $8.1bn demand was âillegal, oppressive, abusive, unauthorised and unconstitutional.â
It also wants the court to void the September 3, 2018 letter written to it by the AGF demanding $8.1bn as âpenalties for the offence of âinfraction of forex remittancesâ.â
MTN is seeking a court order ârestraining the 1st and 2nd defendants from giving effect to the decisions, demands and directives in their letters of August 28,2018 and September 3, 2018, respectively.â
However, the CBN, in its statement of defence and counter-claim, urged the judge to dismiss MTNâs suit, insisting that the telecommunications giant must refund $8.1bn to the Federal Government.
The Attorney General of the Federation on his part has yet to file any defence.
The dispute over $8.1bn repatriated funds started when the CBN accused MTN improperly issuing certificates to transfer funds out of Nigeria after the telecom giant converted shareholder loans in its Nigerian unit to preference shares in 2007, but MTN denied the allegations.
The apex bank said MTNâs banks failed to verify that the telecom group had met all the countryâs foreign exchange regulations.
