The Chairman of MTN Uganda, Charles Mbiire has said he is not aware of police summons but says he is ready to work with authorities when called upon to help in investigating subversive activities if any by employees of the giant telecom.
Relating to two of the company’s staff believed to have carried out subversive activities against Uganda, more so to breach the country’s national security, Mbiire said it wasn’t an agreeable police of the company but said this could be isolated incidents.
“I am not aware of the police summons but I am always available to help the police in issues of national security,” he told Eagle Online.
Earlier it was reported that police had summoned Mbire for interrogation following the recent arrest and deportation of two of the telecom operator’s staff on account of involving in activities that comprise Uganda’s national security.
Sources say Mbire will be questioned on the alleged involvement of MTN’s top officials in the creation of special mobile money accounts through which funds were channeled to facilitate subversive activities in Uganda. “He will appear before police and other security organs for questioning,” a senior officer said.
MTN Uganda staff who were deported and against whom Mbiire would reportedly be interrogated are the Chief Marketing Officer Olivier Prentout and Head of Sales & Distribution Annie Bilenge Tabura for using their who security agencies say used their employment status to plan and breach Uganda’s national security
Security agencies have also invited MTN CEO Wim Vanhelleputte for interrogation as regards the activities of the two deported staff. Meanwhile, authorities also deported MTN’s General Manager in charge of mobile financial services, Elsa Muzzolin back to Italy
Prentout was arrested by police from Entebbe airport on Saturday January 19 shortly after arrival from a business trip abroad while Tabura was picked up unidentified security personnel upon arrival at the MTN headquarters in Kololo on Monday.
MTN in a statement a day ago said they remain committed to respecting the laws of the country. “MTN Uganda, together with all its employees, remains fully committed to operating within and respecting the laws of the country,” the statement reads.
Deputy police spokesperson, Polly Namaye, said security agencies have been monitoring the activities of the duo in close coordination with immigration officials.
“We strongly believe that the deportation of the two foreigners, who were using their employment tools to achieve their ill motives, has enabled us disrupt their intended plans of compromising our national security,” Namaye said in her statement.
In July last year, the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) raided the South African telecoms firm, disconnecting four of its servers. MTN then reported the case as an “illegal intrusion.” MTN said the intruders had accessed the server room after the kidnap of one of their contractors, a Huawei Technologies employee who was forced to grant access.
President Museveni has publicly accused Uganda’s telecommunications for under-declaring calls and revenue earnings. MTN’s 20-year licence granted in 1998 expired last year on October 20 and the second interim licence also expired two days ago.
Renewal of the licence for one of the country’s biggest taxpayers had seemed like it would be a routine process after the regulator, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) assured the nation that MTN’s licence would be renewed for the next 10 years.
But Museveni recently raised concern over the US $100 million licence fee that was later reduced to US $58 Million by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).
On Saturday while addressing guests at the opening of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Tower in Nakawa, Kampala, President Museveni said telecom companies were under declaring the number of calls so as to pay less tax. He said they had found that telecoms were under declaring calls made by over two million. This meant that even in taxes to government, they paid less money than they were supposed to pay.