DIG/ But who has an interest in compromising the launch, after 18 years of absence, of the new national airline called Fly Gabon?
Who benefits from the legal imbroglio that is emerging, just 5 days after its launch by the Head of State, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguéma?
Is there already – as some think they know – an attempt at extortion against the young airline which aims to serve the 9 provinces of Gabon and to connect certain major African and Western capitals?
Indeed, Just three days after its inaugural flight, the new air carrier is the target of a complaint filed in early September before the Libreville court by two compatriots.
It is about Bruce Augoula and Mohamed Diarra Magniki, who claim ownership of the trademark « Fly Gabon ».
According to the media Africa Intelligence who relays this information, in their complaint, the plaintiffs seek to obtain from the Libreville court a “permanent injunction to cease the nuisances” linked to the abusive use of “their” brand.
Otherwise, they are demanding a penalty of 150 million CFA francs per day.
The two plaintiffs rely on the airline of the same name, which no one has ever heard of and which does not have any aircraft, but which they claim to have created in April 2013.
Their legal action, reports the online media, follows the failure of negotiations initiated at the beginning of March at the initiative of the plaintiff.
The latter then allegedly offered the Gabonese state to sell it the “FlyGabon” brand for an amount exceeding one billion CFA francs (around 1.5 million euros).
However, 10 years later, the “airline” of the two compatriots, the online media points out, has still not obtained its CTA (air carrier certificate), essential to start its commercial operations and therefore it has never been effectively operated.
According to concordant sources, the transitional government has promised to react firmly on this issue.
However, a senior official from the Ministry of Transport, well aware of the matter, did not fail to point out some inconsistencies.
“Fly Gabon is a registered trademark, not theirs. They have never been an airline.
They never got a CTA.
Their website is flygabonsa not flygabon.com or FlyGabon.online which we bought from the market.
And what’s more, they are not even up to date with their obligations to the ANPI.”, underlines this source close to the case.
And to emphasize: “Rather than torpedoing the CTRI’s saving action and allowing thousands of Gabonese to have a new tool of sovereignty, our two compatriots should bring their experience to the service of the national flagship.
Demanding hundreds of millions of francs from a company that is only taking these first steps is truly unpatriotic in my humble opinion.
It also remains to be seen whether the plaintiffs have obtained authorisation from the competent authorities to claim a right to the term “Gabon”.
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2024-09-05 10:59:27