MultiChoice Ghana has won the court case pertaining to a man caught illegally selling MultiChoice Nigeria decoders in Ghana.
The convict, Emmanuel Addae, was arrested in Kumasi, in 2019, following a tip-off.
He was convicted and sentenced to pay GH¢12,000 or in default, serve one year in prison.
Addae could not pay the fine immediately and thus has been processed to serve his term in prison.
During the raid, ledgers with accounts and personal details of persons they were illegally collecting subscriptions from, and several boxes of decoders were seized.
According to Alex Okyere, Managing Director, MultiChoice Ghana, “the activities of such persons on the market contravenes the Electronic Communications Act and a number of importation and tax laws in Ghana”.
He explained that MultiChoice Ghana was the only company in Ghana with the special license to import and distribute DStv decoders across the country.
MrOkyere said “MultiChoice Ghana has been working with the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to track and raid persons involved in selling MultiChoice Nigeria decoders on the Ghanaian market highlighting there are a number of such cases under investigation and awaiting trial.”
He said DStv decoders from Nigeria “are smuggled into the country, denying the country requisite import duties, then are sold to the unsuspecting public by these unscrupulous persons.”
The purchase and use of such decoders make one an accessory to tax evasion, as your monthly subscriptions are paid in Nigeria, thus avoiding the payment of tax in Ghana.
According to Section 86 and 149 of the Ghana Revenue Act, a person who enters a contract with a non-resident person for the supply or use of goods or property of any kind, or the supply of any services, which contract gives rise to income accruing in or derived from Ghana, shall pay taxes on that service or good.
Failure to Pay Tax is liable onto summary conviction, of imprisonment for a term of not less than three months and not more than one year, or both.
MultiChoice Ghana urged anyone who may have acquired such decoders to contact the nearest MultiChoice Ghana Office to have their decoder regularised. – Citinewsroom.com
