Sonatel bank accounts blocked in Senegal due to intellectual property dispute
Sonatel recently faced a judicial and financial challenge when several of its bank accounts were blocked in Dakar following a seizure procedure. This action stemmed from an intellectual property dispute with Interface SAS, a Senegalese company led by engineer Magatte Sylla. Interface SAS accused Sonatel of unauthorized use of an invention presented confidentially, which Interface SAS claims was subsequently used in Sonatel's "My Business Wifi" product. A court ruled against Sonatel, ordering it to pay 1.1 billion FCfa to Interface SAS and its director. When Sonatel delayed payment, Interface SAS's lawyers initiated a general seizure of nearly all Sonatel's accounts across the country. Facing potential financial paralysis, Sonatel's lawyer, Me Mohamed Mahmoune Fall, urgently petitioned the interim relief judge to lift the seizures. The judge proposed a compromise: the 1.1 billion FCfa would remain blocked in a single account at Société Générale Sénégal, while other Sonatel accounts would be released. Three separate decisions were issued, with Société Générale Sénégal ordered to unblock operational accounts without penalty, but with Sonatel covering legal fees. Bank of Africa and Banque Régionale des Marchés were both fined 200,000 FCfa per day for delayed unblocking, with Banque Régionale des Marchés also bearing its own procedural costs. This swift legal action allowed Sonatel to regain access to its operating funds and continue its daily activities, though the main dispute r
