Rwandan artiste Gilbert Gabiro, commonly known as Gabiro Guitar, has chosen to celebrate his birthday by sharing news that he won a legal fight against his former management company Evolve Music Group (EMG).
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The Commercial Court on October 15 issued a ruling that concluded a prolonged legal dispute over financial claims totaling Rwf 10,850,000 that Evolve Music Group (EMG) wanted Gabiro to pay after their separation.
The court dismissed EMG&039;s primary claim, citing a lack of merit, while partially upholding Gabiro's counterclaim.
The court ruled that Gabiro is not liable for the Rwf 10,850,000 debt claimed by his former management and, instead, asked EMG to pay Gabiro’s lawyer, Salvador Ngabonziza, Rwf 500,000 in legal fees and an extra Rwf 100,000 in court-related expenses.
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The dispute arose from Gabiro's association with EMG, which he co-founded with Gilbert Muhaturukundo on October 27, 2021. Both partners had agreed to contribute a share capital of Rwf 5,000,000 each which correspond to 50 shares in the company. However, Gabiro exited the company on September 2, 2022, following the sale of his shares.
The music group alleged that Gabiro failed to fulfill his initial financial commitment, which left the company underfunded and led to significant financial strain, including debts exceeding Rwf 2,000,000 owed to the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).
Furthermore, EMG claimed that the artiste did not compensate the company for services rendered on his behalf, such as artist management and song production, totaling Rwf 5,850,000. The company argued that Gabiro exploited his position as a shareholder to evade these payments.
Gabiro's legal victory coincided with his birthday, prompting the artist to express his gratitude and joy in a heartfelt Instagram post. He celebrated the ruling as an "Embracement of joy that follows adversity" that marked his special day.