In a recent development, Bee Group, a Cameroonian startup, has vehemently denied the allegations made against them by One All Sports, the equipment supplier contracted by the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot) to provide gear for the national teams. One All Sports had accused Bee Group of failing to pay a sum of one million euros (equivalent to XAF 656 million) — the proceeds from the sale of the supplied equipment.
In a press release issued on July 19, 2023, Bee Group firmly stated that they have diligently adhered to all the terms and conditions specified in the contract since the beginning of the agreement, including the financial obligations. Notably, they clarified that there is no direct contractual relationship between Bee Sarl and Fecafoot. Therefore, they found it perplexing that One All Sports, having possession of the contract, would seek to involve them in a dispute with Fecafoot.
To further support their stance, Bee Group presented evidence of the equipment deliveries they received from DHL, along with the accompanying delivery receipts. According to the startup, these deliveries did not amount to the claimed one million euros, casting doubts on One All Sports’ accusations.
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An internal source from the startup, when contacted, reiterated the company’s position, vehemently denying any withholding of payments. The source pointed out that multiple payments had been made throughout 2022, contrary to One All Sports’ assertion of a single payment.
In response to One All Sports’ claim of taking legal action in a Douala court, with a hearing scheduled for July 20, 2023, Bee Group asserted that they had no knowledge of any such legal proceedings. They emphasized that, according to the contract, disputes of this nature should be addressed before the jurisdictions of England and Wales, which are the designated competent authorities.
The partnership between One All Sports and Bee Group was initially announced in a press release on September 4, 2022. The collaboration aimed to facilitate the local distribution of One All Sports’ products during and after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Bee Group, known for its motorcycle-taxi transportation services, had the responsibility of distributing the licensed products through various conventional sales outlets across the country, in addition to offering an innovative direct sales and home delivery service. The products were made available on popular platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and a dedicated website, with customers having the option to pay in cash or via Mobile Money, promising a quick delivery time of 2 hours.
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As the situation unfolds, both Bee Group and One All Sports are expected to present their respective evidence before the appropriate authorities to resolve this dispute surrounding the alleged missing payments for the equipment supplied to the Cameroonian national football teams.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard