- Zeepay and MD Sue MTN Ghana, MMFL for GH¢15 million Over Corporate Wallet Dispute
Zeepay Ghana Limited and its Managing Director, Andrew Takyi-Appiah, have sued Scancom PLC, operator of MTN Ghana, and Mobile Money Fintech Limited over the alleged registration of the company’s corporate mobile money wallet in Mr Takyi-Appiah’s name.
The action, filed at the High Court in Accra, seeks GH¢10 million in general damages and GH¢5 million in exemplary damages for Mr Takyi-Appiah, as well as unspecified general damages for Zeepay over an alleged breach of contract.
Zeepay and its managing director are also asking the court to order the defendants to change the wallet’s ownership details and declare that the alleged failure to follow the company’s instructions was wrongful.
The defendants have not yet filed a defence among the documents reviewed, and the plaintiffs’ allegations have not been determined by the court.
According to the statement of claim, Zeepay subscribed to an MTN Mobile Money corporate wallet, described as an OVA wallet, around 2022 or 2023 to support its operations as a mobile financial-services and payment-system service provider.
Zeepay claims it subsequently discovered that the wallet, with the mobile number 0530585752, had been registered on the defendants’ platforms in the name of Mr Takyi-Appiah.
The company maintains that the documentation submitted when subscribing to the service, including the applicable Know Your Customer records, was in Zeepay’s name.
Zeepay argues that registering the corporate wallet under its managing director’s name was therefore inconsistent with the documents used to obtain the service.
The plaintiffs say the matter was brought to the attention of MTN Ghana and Mobile Money Fintech Limited and that Zeepay formally wrote to the defendants on November 21, 2023, instructing them to amend the wallet’s name.
The supporting letter authorised MTN Ghana to change the wallet name from “Andrew Takyi-Appiah (ZeepayCIN)” to “Zeepay Ghana Limited.” It was signed on behalf of Zeepay by Mr Takyi-Appiah and Emmanuel Osei Frimpong.
Zeepay claims it also supplied the documents required to complete the amendment.
However, the company alleges that the defendants failed or neglected to implement the requested change despite reminders continuing until August 2026.
The wallet still bore Mr Takyi-Appiah’s name when the lawsuit was commenced, according to the statement of claim.
Zeepay contends that its relationship with the defendants is contractual and that compliance with its lawful instructions concerning the corporate wallet forms part of that relationship.
It is consequently asking the court to declare that the alleged refusal or failure to amend the ownership details constitutes a breach of the duty owed to the company.
The fintech firm is also seeking general damages for an alleged breach of contract, separate from the GH¢15 million being claimed by Mr Takyi-Appiah.
The managing director claims the continued association of his name with the corporate wallet has caused him pain, distress and reputational harm.
He alleges that he has been joined personally to litigation involving Zeepay because his name appears in the defendants’ records as the wallet’s owner.
According to the court filing, the High Court in Accra has declined to remove him as a party from litigation involving the company because of the ownership information connected to the wallet.
Mr Takyi-Appiah argues that he possesses a separate legal personality from Zeepay and should not automatically become a party to proceedings involving the company.
The plaintiffs further claim that the defendants attributed Mr Takyi-Appiah’s presence on the wallet records to his role as its handler.
They reject that explanation, arguing that a person identified as the handler of a corporate wallet is not necessarily its beneficial or legal owner.
The filing states that MTN Ghana and Mobile Money Fintech Limited, as major operators in telecommunications and mobile financial services, knew or ought to have known that registering a corporate wallet in another person’s name could cause harm to both the company and the individual.
The plaintiffs describe the defendants’ alleged refusal to change the registration, despite the November 2023 instruction and subsequent correspondence, as “oppressive, arrogant and a complete disregard of the rights” of Zeepay and Mr Takyi-Appiah.
These characterisations form part of the plaintiffs’ case and remain subject to the defendants’ response and the court’s determination.
Zeepay and Mr Takyi-Appiah are seeking declarations that registering the company’s wallet in the managing director’s name was wrongful and unlawful, and that the defendants breached their duty by allegedly failing to act on the requested amendment.
They also want the court to declare the defendants liable for any harm suffered or likely to be suffered by Mr Takyi-Appiah because of the use of his name and the alleged failure to remove it.
In addition, they are asking for an order compelling the defendants to take Mr Takyi-Appiah’s name off the corporate wallet and implement Zeepay’s November 2023 instructions.
Mr Takyi-Appiah is seeking GH¢10 million for alleged pain, distress and reputational damage, together with GH¢5 million in exemplary damages.
The plaintiffs are further claiming costs, including legal fees, and any other orders the court considers just and equitable.
The dispute raises wider questions about how corporate mobile money wallets are registered, how authorised handlers are distinguished from corporate owners and how quickly service providers must respond when customers request amendments to account information.
Those broader issues will depend on the contractual arrangements, regulatory requirements and evidence eventually placed before the court.
For now, the case remains an untested civil claim. Scancom PLC and Mobile Money Fintech Limited will have an opportunity to answer the allegations and present their account of the wallet’s registration and the subsequent amendment request.
