Speaking on behalf of his colleague musicians Edward King aka Eddie King, Kelly Base, Lion Man, and Nigger Pres, Alhaji Turay aka P2 informed AYV on Friday 30th August, 2019 that they feel let down, devastated and robbed by Ecobank because the latter used their music titled: Song for Ramadan between May-June 2019 which was the duration of the holy month of Ramadan without their consent; and in the process making billions of Leones through the illegal use a song created by Team Best.
P2 went further to claim that they came to know about the ‘theft’ of their song by Ecobank through fans and that they later secured recorded copies of the jingle that was using their song (Song for Ramadan) to promote services and products being offered during the month of Ramadan by Ecobank.
“After we had secured the recorded copies, we informed two lawyers about our plight who then wrote a letter informing Ecobank of what we were accusing them of,” P2 said. He added that the response from Ecobank when they called them to a meeting was to inform them that “they were not going to compensate us a dime and that they were ready to fight us even if it took them five years.”
P2 went further to say that present at that meeting that was held on or about 7th June, 2019 at Ecobank main branch, ECOWAS Street in Freetown, was someone they came to know as the bank’s Legal Adviser and some other staff and possibly a few members of the bank’s board.
Asked about what they did next, P2 maintained that because they felt that Ecobank had a case to answer they again consulted legal defenders in the persons of Sigismund Austin Conteh Esq. and Lawyer Macfoy who after brief consultations have issued a writ of summons on Ecobank and that they are only waiting for the recommencement of High Court sittings for the matter to be heard.
He stated however that during the first consultation between them, their legal consultants and Ecobank authorities, they were informed by Ecobank authorities that they had reached a ‘settlement’ with the first two lawyers Team Best had retained. “But how can this be possible without our knowledge,” the artists rhetorically asked.
On the part of Ecobank, AYV spoke with the official responsible for media and public relations, Hannah Fullah. Speaking on line she said she is aware that the music group is contemplating taking the bank to court. Pressed further on what could have gone wrong and how the bank hopes to resolve the issue, she replied: “No comment.”
Team Best have been involved in the local music industry for a little over four years now and have carved a niche for themselves in the Sierra Leone music industry. They have several songs to their credit and have won the hearts of fans both nationally and internationally.
Investigations continue.
