The High Court has issued an interim injunction that shuts down all planned events at the Prime Atlantic Hotel for March 28, 2026. The ruling, delivered by Hon. Justice Sonia Akinbiyi K.J.W., comes from BTL City Entertainment, which alleged a “double-booking” that resulted in massive financial losses and public embarrassment.
The legal battle was initiated by Sheriff Camara, acting on behalf of BTL City Entertainment. According to court documents, Camara’s group booked the Prime Atlantic Hotel venue in early March 2026 through the hotel’s Sales Manager, Marie Cox.
The group claims they paid a booking fee of D50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dalasis) into the hotel’s Zenith Bank account, a payment they say was later authenticated by the hotel’s General Manager. Relying on this confirmation, BTL City Entertainment launched an intensive promotional campaign for their “Annual Koriteh Show,”
According to Camara they printed 2,500 tickets at D500 each, plus 1,000 promotional tickets, payments for sound systems, DJs, and artists, obtaining a permit from the Gambia Police Force on March 18, 2026 but their plans were thrown into chaos three weeks later when they discovered promotional fliers for a competing event by a group known as “The City Giants,” scheduled for the same date, time, and venue.
Camara testified in his affidavit that despite reporting the conflict to the hotel’s CEO and General Manager, the hotel failed to resolve the issue or honour the original booking. The Plaintiff further alleged that the hotel ignored invitations to settle the matter out of court as per the High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2024.
With over D400,000 already spent on logistics and an estimated D1,250,000 in expected revenue at stake, the group turned to the courts for an emergency intervention.
In an ex parte motion moved by Counsel Adama Sillah, the court was asked to restrain the Prime Atlantic Hotel from allowing any other group to use the venue on March 28.
Justice Akinbiyi, noting the extreme urgency of the matter, adopted a balanced yet firm approach. Instead of simply granting BTL City Entertainment exclusive access, the Judge ordered that both parties refrain from holding events at the venue until the legal dispute is fully heard.
“Any party in breach of the foregoing order… will be deemed as hovering within the precinct of punishable contempt, and sanctions will definitely follow,” the Judge warned in the written order.
The ruling leaves thousands of ticket holders in limbo. The court adjourned the matter to April 20, 2026, for the hearing of the formal motion on notice and further mention.
