By Saio Marrah
The High Court in Freetown has ordered Leone Oil Company to supply (200,000) two hundred thousand liters of petroleum products to SKM Group of companies, which the latter had paid for.
On the issue of cost, Justice Samuel Taylor told the two parties to negotiate and arrive at a common ground.
The judgment delivered on Wednesday 7th February 2024, addressed a business transaction between the companies, after the Chief Executive Officer of the SKM group of company, Jaffa Husein Zeghir made a payment for 200,000 liters of petroleum product back in 2021, to Leone Oil for which they issued a delivery note.
According to court papers four days after payment was made, Zeghir was told that the price of the products had increased from seven thousand old Leones (LE 7,000 to eight thousand five hundred old Leones (Le 8,500) and was then asked to make the balance payment before the consignment would be supplied. Zeghir refused saying he had paid and obtained a receipt and delivery note.
Leon Oil on the other hand said they refunded the money to SKM Group of Companies but they rejected it saying they would only accept the products.
The lawyer representing SKM Group of Companies, Jacob Jibao Campbell, told journalists after the judgment that when the case was taken to court, it took them two to three months to complete their arguments back in 2021, but since then, the case had reserved for judgment. He said the Petroleum Regulatory Agency earlier ordered Leone Oil to supply the product but they refused and expressed optimism that Leone Oil would release the fuel by today, Friday 9th February. He said “this judgment will give confidence to business people to invest in the country with the belief that the judiciary is at work and what you are entitled to once you put your case across fairly, the judiciary will rule in your favor”.
SKM CEO, Zeghir expressed his excitement about the judgment favoring his company saying that the case had taken over three years but at last, justice had prevailed and in the last three years, some of his petrol stations shut down causing serious challenges with some of his staff.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (09/02/24)
