ECOWAS court rules against Shatta Wale in gambling ad ban dispute

The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice has overruled a lawsuit filed by Ghanaian musician Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, against the Republic of Ghana and its Gaming Commission. The court found that Shatta Wale failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims of discrimination and rights violations related to an alleged obstruction of an endorsement deal with a Ghanaian betting company.

Shatta Wale argued that Ghana's Advertising Guidelines—specifically Guideline VII, which prohibits celebrities from appearing in gambling advertisements—unfairly targeted him and violated protections under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.

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However, the court noted that he did not identify the gaming company involved or provide any evidence of communication with the firm or proof that Ghanaian authorities intervened to block the deal. Furthermore, he did not present examples of other celebrities in similar circumstances being treated differently, thereby undermining his discrimination claim.

The ruling was issued by a panel comprising Presiding Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, along with Justices Sengu Mohamed Koroma and Dupe Atoki.

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The court also expressed concern over the anonymity of the gaming company at the centre of the dispute, stating that granting relief without identifying this third party would breach the court's procedural rules. Although the court affirmed its jurisdiction over the matter and deemed the application admissible, it ultimately dismissed the case for lack of merit.

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