* Former CEO says no bribes to Iran, S.Africa
* MTN being sued by rival Turkcell over Iran
(Adds details, comment from statement)
JOHANNESBURG, April 1 (Reuters) – The former chief executive
of MTN Group denied on Sunday that he authorised bribes
to Iranian and South African government officials in return for
a cellular licence in Iran.
“I can state quite categorically that during my tenure as
group CEO of MTN no bribes were authorised or paid by the MTN
Group to any South African or Iranian government officials to
secure the mobile licence in Iran,” Phuthuma Nhleko said in a
statement.
Turkish mobile operator Turkcell this week filed
a $4.2 billion lawsuit against MTN in a U.S. federal court,
accusing it of using bribery and other corrupt acts to win its
licence in Iran in 2004.
Nhleko, who was then the CEO of MTN, is named in the suit,
as well as current CEO Sifiso Dabengwa, who was then the chief
operating officer.
The suit also charges that MTN lobbied the South African
government to take a soft stance on Iran’s nuclear programme and
provide Tehran with military equipment in exchange for the
licence, which was initially awarded to Turkcell.
MTN has said the case is without legal merit, while Pretoria
has said its foreign policy is independent.
“MTN’s conduct was not unlawful or corrupt and MTN was
certainly not in a position where it could influence or fetter
the decisions made by the South African government or any other
sovereign state,” Nhleko said.
MTN has set up an independent committee led by a UK legal
scholar to investigate Turkcell’s claims. It has said Turkcell
has refused to cooperate with the investigation.
MTN has a 49 percent stake in Iranian unit Irancell, which
accounts for nearly 10 percent of its annual revenue.
(Reporting by David Dolan, editing by Ed Stoddard)
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