Courteville saga… High Court restricts SLRTA

By Abdul Hassan Fackie

Reports reaching this paper indicate that the Courteville Investment Company which was contracted in April of last year by the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority (SLRTA) as service provider for the automation of vehicles and drivers licences has had its contract unlawfully terminated by the SLRTA.

A Courteville source who spoke to ATV explained that dissatisfied with the corrupt action of SLRTA, they issued a writ of summons against them claiming the sum of ten million six hundred thousand Dollars ($ 10.6 M) as backlog payment due them for seven months and payment for the unexpired term of nine months plus damages for breach of contract.

He said on Wednesday, May 9 this year, Justice A. Showers granted an application made by Lawyer Melron Nicol Wilson on behalf of Courteville in the ongoing matter against the SLRTA, by slamming an interlocutory injunction restraining the SLRTA, it Directors, Servants, Agents, Workmen, Vendors, etc. from entering into any contract with another company for the provision of an automation of vehicles and drivers licence service for which the Courteville Company was contracted by SLRTA to perform in an agreement signed on 6^th April, 2011.

He also stated that the Nigerian Embassy in Freetown, in consideration of a letter of complaint it received from the Nigerian owned Courteville Company, alleging non- payment and wrongful termination of its Contract by SLRTA, has forwarded a Note Verbal (a Diplomatic Letter) to the Government of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation drawing its attention to the lack of cooperation and wrongful treatment of its citizens by a Government institution and the flagrant abuse by SLRTA of an agreement signed with a Nigerian Company.

A source at the Foreign Affairs Ministry has intimated this paper that the Government of Sierra Leone and the Nigerian Embassy are looking into the prospects of getting an out of Court settlement in order to speedily resolve the matter amicably.

The source said initial discussions have already been held by both parties and that there is the likelihood that the matter will be resolved out of Court and Courteville Investment Company paid its commission of seven hundred and twenty thousand Dollars ($ 720,000.00) in addition to other claims