According to the Chronicle, the outcome of the World Trade Organisation’s investigation claiming that Saudi Arabia are behind pirate satellite station beoutQ will be known in a document set to be issued on Tuesday.
Saudi’s Public Investment Fund is looking to seal a £300 million takeover of Newcastle United, but the Kingdom’s links with broadcast piracy have prevented them from passing the Premier League’s Owners’ and Directors’ Test.
The English top-flight are waiting for the formal publication of the WTO investigation before they deliver their verdict on the Magpies takeover, and while The Sun reported on Wednesday that it’s due in the next fortnight, the Chronicle claims it will come earlier.
The Guardian revealed last month that it was due mid-June and that date appears imminent.
We knew this was the problem didn’t we? It’s like when the buyers kept saying no red flags. There was a massive one of those as soon as this began and we discovered this below. More than that, the PL have supported every single attempt to take legal action by others too. https://t.co/VP8XwCxT1D
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) June 9, 2020
I’m not a lawyer but it’s clearly riddled with landmines. My theory is theyre waiting for WTO report to go public and that is the huge concern for me… it doesn’t sound good. But, again, I’m not a lawyer and as far I know those who have commented are not experts in this area
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) June 9, 2020
Could well be but we don’t know and from my basic understanding that WTO report is a a major problem
— Luke Edwards (@LukeEdwardsTele) June 9, 2020
The fit and proper persons test has already stretched into 10 weeks, but it could be completed as soon as the WTO report is out.
The Qatar broadcasters claim that the unprecedented scale of piracy has cost them one billion US dollars in lost subscriptions, lost advertising revenue, legal fees and technical reports.
