Canada’s Federal Court of Appeals (FCA) has extended the 45-day stay period for the mobile operator Wind Mobile as it pursues its appeal against a recent Federal Court decision that could stop it operating in Canada.
The court will now hear appeals…
Canada’s Federal Court of Appeals (FCA) has extended the 45-day stay period for the mobile operator Wind Mobile as it pursues its appeal against a recent Federal Court decision that could stop it operating in Canada.
The court will now hear appeals against the Federal Court decision by Wind Mobile, owned by Globalive, and the government on 18 May.
The Canadian Federal Court ruled in February that a government decision that Wind Mobile’s shareholding was in line with the country’s foreign ownership rules was based on legal errors and “must be quashed”.
In a statement yesterday, the chairman of Globalive, Anthony Lacavera, said that he was confident the court of appeal would rule in the company’s favour.
He said: “From the beginning, we have maintained that we are fully compliant with the rules. Industry Canada [a government department] saw this clearly. Cabinet saw this clearly. The Federal Court did not say otherwise, only that two “legal errors” were in the Cabinet order.”
Both Globalive and the Canadian government are appealing the court’s ruling.
Globalive is 65% owned by Orascom Telecom, which is controlled by Egyptian businessman Naguib Sawiris. The remaining stake in Globalive is held by its founder, Canadian Anthony Lacavera.
The original case was brought to court by rival mobile operator Public Mobile following a decision by the government in late 2009 to allow Wind Mobile to operate.
