By Alaa Abdelwanis
Maj. Gen. Atef Yaacoub, Chairman of the Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) said Al-Hayat had refrained from implementing the decision of the Agency to pay complainants the awards they won in the channels’ contests.
Yaacoub said that referrrig Al-Hayat to prosecution is a clear message that CPA works toward applying the rule of law
Within the framework of the Agency’s plan to protect consumers’ rights and interests, and to apply Law No. 67 for the year 2006 on protection of consumers; Yaacoub said that the Agency has referred Mr El-Sayyid el-Badawi, in his capacity as the legal representative and Chairman of Sigma Media Co. (owner of Al-Hayat channel), to 6th of October prosecution office for failing to abide by the decision of CPA to give the competants’ awards -won in the channel’s contests- of Money Show, Let’s Make a Deal, and The Millionaire.
Yaacoub added that CPA launched investigations over the subject of the complaints proved valid, as the agency addressed Al-Hayat to resolve the issue.Yet, the channel has denied responsibility, claiming that it contracted with Sony Pictures Television Production Co., specialized in producing contest shows, and so did the contesters.
Yaacoub mentioned that CPA assigned a number of law enforcement officers from the CPA Investigation Department to go to the headquarters of the company, but was not found in the address mentioned; and after further investigations, it could not be located, raising more suspicions over fraud. Thus, CPA referred the issue to its BOD which issued a decision to oblige the channel to pay due values of the awards. But, Al-Hayat failed to abide by the decision of CPA within the period set, so the company was referred to Public Prosecution for violation of articles 1, 6, 8, 9, and 24 of Consumer Protection Act No. 67 for the year 2006.
Finally, he called on consumers to contact the agency on hotline 19 588 to send their complaints without any financial burdens, or log on to its website WWW.CPA.GOV.EG.
