NLA urges court to refuse GLOA application

Accra, Nov. 9 GNA - The National Lottery Authority (NLA) on Friday filed a supplementary application at an Accra High Court in opposition to an interlocutory injunction filed by the Ghana Lotto Operators Association (GLOA).

The NLA is seeking the court to refuse an interlocutory injunction being sought by the GLOA since they had failed to show the existence of a right that must be protected by the court.

The court, presided over by Mr Justice Anthony K. Agbada adjourned the case for December 3, 2007 for hearing. In a motion supported by an affidavit, counsel for the NLA, Mr Kizito Beyuo prayed the court to reject the application of the plaintiffs since

they had failed to show the existence of a right, which ought to be protected, by the court. He said there was no real prospect of the plaintiffs succeeding in their claim for permanent injunction against the NLA. Mr Beyuo also stated that the application sought by the plaintiffs would create an incongruous situation of two regimes of lotto operators in Ghana.

He argued that the plaintiffs would not suffer any hardship if their application were dismissed because they had been operating illegally.

He said enquiries at the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) revealed that some of the plaintiffs had no valid licenses to operate lotto in the Accra metropolis where they were operating.

He further contended that under Act 722, only the NLA was allowed to organise any form of lotto.

He said the act also empowers the NLA to regulate, supervise and manage national lotto and ensure the enforcement of laws relating to national lotto that would be conducted for the purpose of raising revenue for the nation.

Mr Aurelious Awuku, counsel for GLOA reject the claim from the NLA that the plaintiffs businesses were not properly licensed by the city authorities. He said the attempt by the defendant to monopolize the operations of the lotto business would strangle the operations of GLOA members and saddle owners with huge debts. The Ghana Lotto Operators Association had filed a motion against the NLA seeking the court to prevent it from implementing the new Law till the determination of a substantive motion pending at the Fast Track High Court.