Kenyan court ends Nokia-Technoservice saga

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Kenyan court ends Nokia-Technoservice saga
AI clones: The future of work?
Nigeria releases Binance’s Gambaryan

Kenyan court ends Nokia-Technoservice saga

In 2020, Kenya’s Technoservice Limited filed a case against Nokia, accusing the company of breaching a contract after it reportedly lost its service centres and earnings to Microsoft. At the time, the court put the case on hold, pushing for both parties to sort things out.

Fast forward to 2022, the case was reopened at the High Court with the judge referring it to the International Court of Arbitration (ICC). However, Technoservice claimed that the evidence was ignored and the ICC was biased.

But things stalled again when the Kenyan firm couldn’t pay its arbitration fees. Refusing to back down, Technoservice took the matter to the Court of Appeal.

So, what’s new? The Kenyan Court of Appeal has now thrown out Technoservice’s petition to block the referral and its request for damages from Nokia. The judges ruled that the case had no basis and advised both companies to handle things internally, as outlined in their partnership agreement.

Technoservice’s director argues Nokia committed tax fraud and claims there’s a conflict of interest, given Nokia officials hold key positions at the ICC.

The question now is: will Technoservice finally drop the case, or are we looking at yet another round of legal battles against Nokia?

AI clones: The future of work?

An image showing a human recruiter interviewing a robot applicant — Photo by Alan Alves on Unsplash

HeyGen just dropped its Version 3.0, and it’s a game-changer in AI video generation! If you thought previous versions were cool, this one takes things to a whole new level.

The platform offers a wider range of avatars with different poses, voices, and camera angles. You can even create a digital clone of yourself (with consent, of course) by recording a quick 2-5 minute video — then boom, your lifelike twin is ready!

The best part? It’s super easy to use. You can write a script with tools like ChatGPT or upload your own, then edit scene by scene, adding custom camera angles. It’s perfect for busy pros who need to churn out multiple videos without constantly being on camera. Just one short recording can fuel loads of content!

HeyGen’s new avatars are blowing minds, with YouTube tech critics raving about their ultra-realistic expressions and dynamic voice tones. And with flexible subscription plans (including a free one!), it’s accessible to all types of creators.

But it’s not all fun and games. As avatars get more lifelike, there’s a growing concern about fraud, especially in hiring processes where fake employees could use AI-generated avatars to trick recruiters. This means stricter verification measures like live video calls are more important than ever.

On the flip side, AI video tools are shaking up internal communications and employee training, making everything more personalised and engaging, especially for global teams. The possibilities are endless, but companies need to stay cautious about the ethical risks.

Want to know more about how AI video generation could change the workplace? Read Oluwanifemi’s latest story.

Nigeria releases Binance’s Gambaryan

Tigran Gambaryan, Binance executive — Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan

The Nigerian government has dropped all charges against Binance exec Tigran Gambaryan, who was facing allegations of money laundering. He’s now been ordered to be released.

EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Ihenacho, revealed the news at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, saying the charges were dropped to allow Gambaryan to get medical treatment abroad. Diplomatic talks also played a role in securing his release, according to Ihenacho.

That said, the EFCC is still pursuing the money laundering case against Binance, but Gambaryan is no longer part of it. Ihenacho pointed out that Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was just an employee at Binance, not directly involved in the actions being prosecuted.

Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, echoed this, stating his client wasn’t part of Binance’s bigger financial decisions. Binance also backed this up, arguing that Gambaryan had no decision-making power and was simply a law enforcement professional, not involved in the company’s management.

Gambaryan was initially detained in February, with the EFCC accusing him and Binance of laundering over $35 million. While he pleaded not guilty, he remained in custody at Kuje Correctional Centre, where his health reportedly worsened. Two weeks before the charges were dropped, the court denied him bail, but the case was fast-tracked, leading to his release for medical reasons.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Nigerian authorities have dropped charges against Binance executives. FIRS had previously filed tax evasion charges but later dropped them, leaving Binance as the only defendant.