MTN fudges response to corruption and human rights violations allegations

The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that the response by Sifiso Dabengwa, President and Chief Executive Officer of the MTN Group (Ltd), to allegations of corruption and human rights violations is a fudge.

The response does not deal directly with the key allegation that the MTN Group (Ltd) engaged in bribery and trading of influence in order to win a mobile operating licence in Iran. The MTN Group Ltd does not deny, for example, that it made a payment of US$400 000 to Iran's former Deputy Foreign Minister, Javid Ghorbanoghli, or that it made a payment of US$200 000 to South Africa's former Ambassador to Iran, Yusuf Salojee, in return for their assistance with securing the mobile operating licence in Iran.

The MTN Group (Ltd) appears to concede that the company did provide the Iranian regime with access to MTN-Irancell's subscriber details and telephone lines.  The MTN Group (Ltd) seem to turn a blind eye to the fact that the interception of communication in Iran does not pass the "democratic test". It's hard to imagine that an independent judge authorises all the interception of communication in Iran.

The allegations made against the MTN Group (Ltd) are very serious. They cannot simply be investigated by an independent committee within the Group.

The DA is awaiting a response from the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) and the South African Human Rights Commission concerning possible investigations into the MTN Group (Ltd).

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, April 12 2012

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